PlastTalk – Sustainable packaging: Reuse highlights from Europe and Finland

Welcome to the PlastTalk -webinar ”Sustainable Packaging: Reuse Highlights from Europe and Finland” organized on 4 June 2025 at 14.00 – 15.30 (EEST) in Teams.

Join us for a deep dive into one of the most crucial strategies for tackling plastic waste: reuse. As global attention turns to the environmental, economic and societal costs of single-use plastics, reuse is emerging as a central pillar of circular economy thinking.

Reuse reduces demand for virgin materials and delays end-of-life waste generation. It enables a systemic shift from linear throughput models toward material retention and service-based solutions. Beyond environmental gains, reuse creates opportunities for innovation in design, reverse logistics and business model development. It also plays a role in helping countries meet their obligations under EU waste directives and circular economy targets.

In this expert-level webinar – drawing on insights from leading initiatives in Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland – we’ll explore how reusable packaging systems are being scaled across industries, how residual waste targets are driving innovation and how a litter-free environment depends on designing out disposability. You’ll also gain insight into the role of reuse in the upcoming Finnish Circular Economy Act and how food take-away culture is being transformed to embrace circularity.

Date: 4 June 2025
Time: 14.00–15.30 (EEST)
Place: Teams

Facilitated by Helena Dahlbo, Leader of “Rethinking plastics in a sustainable circular economy – PlastLIFE SIP”, the Finnish Environment Institute

Programme:

14.00–14.05
Reuse is a possibility, not a threat
Hanna Salmenperä, Senior researcher, the Finnish Environment Institute

14.05–14.35
Reusable packaging, Scale up!
Henk Dillingh, Advisor (circular economy), Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands

14.35–15.00
Circular Material Approach on Residual waste Targets and a Litter Free Environment – Cmartlife
Els Herremans, Policy advisor, Public Waste Agency in the region of Flanders (Belgium), OVAM

15.00–15.10
Reuse and the preparation of a new Finnish Circular Economy Act
Olli Laukkanen, Senior specialist, Ministry of the Environment, Finland

15.10–15.25
Transforming food take-away culture in Reusify project
Sanna Martin, Project manager, Borealis

15.25–15.30
End discussion

15.30
Closing the webinar

You will receive the Teams link for participating the webinar after you have registered.

Lisätietoja / Ilmoittautuminen

Avainsanat: reuse, plastics, design,