4 June, 2025
Closing the loop on European city life
European cities at the forefront of reuse: a Green Week 2025 highlight
On June 4, 2025, New ERA and TOMRA, in partnership with the City of Aarhus, the Central Denmark EU Office, and the Norwegian Mission to the EU, co-hosted a high-level EU Green Week Partner Event at Norway House in Brussels. The event explored a central question: Can European cities go all reusable?
The morning opened with welcoming remarks from Ambassador Anders Eide, Karianne Tung, Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation. Both speakers emphasised the strategic importance of circularity as a driver of Europe’s economic competitiveness and environmental resilience. Minister Tung underscored the role of innovation, digitalisation, and data in making reuse systems scalable and effective.
This introduction set the stage for a policy dialogue featuring EU co-legislators, including representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council, who expressed a shared commitment to implement the existing regulatory framework, particularly the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Looking ahead, they highlighted the importance of preparing for future initiatives such as the forthcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA), expected by the end of 2026.
Mathias Bach Kirkegaard, Environment Attaché at the Danish Permanent Representation to the EU, outlined Denmark’s priorities for its upcoming Council Presidency, which will focus on defence, competitiveness, and the environment. Meanwhile, DG ENV’s Wolfgang Trunk stressed the need to move beyond recycling and prioritise upstream solutions like reuse, if we are to meaningfully reduce packaging waste.
Adding to this perspective, New ERA presented a key figure: only 2% of packaging placed on the EU market today is reusable. The message is clear: we must fully activate all available levers, including legislation, standardisation, and financing tools, to reverse this trend and make reuse the norm across Europe.
The City of Aarhus in Denmark offered a compelling case study. Simon Rossau presented the REUSABLE project, which launched in early 2024 and introduced the world’s first automated deposit system for to-go cups. In just one year, Aarhus residents returned over 1 million cups, the equivalent of +10,000 filled waste bins or 14 tons of displaced waste, achieving an impressive 85% return rate. The project was received positively by users as well, with an 87% satisfaction rate. The program will run at least until 2027, expanding to other takeaway packaging formats and giving a concrete example of how urban reuse systems can work at scale.
The event culminated in a roundtable with city leaders and experts, including representatives from the City of Brussels, ACR+, Zero Waste Scotland, and TOMRA. The conversation explored the role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the value of public-private collaboration, and the ability of local governments to lead on reuse, even in the absence of national policy, through smart incentives, local regulation, and regional initiatives.
This dynamic morning of insights and exchange underscored a vital message: reuse is not only possible, it is essential to building a truly circular economy at the local level.
