Reusable cups and bottles can cut carbon, waste, and costs if return and washing systems are in place.
A new peer reviewed paper from the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF)’s Fisheries Economics Research Unit (FERU) compared seven common beverage containers and asks a simple question: Is reuse better than single use for the environment? The authors examined the following reusable items: glass bottles, PET bottles, and polypropylene cups. They also assessed single-use PET bottles and cups, with and without recycled content, using European data and a full life cycle assessment.
The answer is clear. Reusable systems generally have the lowest environmental impacts. Reusable polypropylene cups perform best overall. Reusable PET bottles and glass bottles also beat single use options on most measures when they are returned and washed at scale. Single use PET options have the highest emissions, especially when they contain no recycled material. Adding recycled content helps but does not close the gap with reuse.
Reuse or recycle. Credit: Unsplash
“We looked at the whole footprint – from raw materials through production, transport, use, and end of life,” said Dr. Ibrahim Issifu, co-author and postdoctoral fellow in FERU. “We identified key drivers that could impact performance, including carbon intensity of electricity used for washing, the number of reuse cycles, transport distances, recycling rates, and recycled content.”
The type of container is also relevant: while glass can be heavy to move, its impact per use drops sharply with more trips. PET is lighter and can outperform glass on longer routes. Reusable options do require water and energy for cleaning, so efficient washing with clean power is important. For single-use packaging, increasing recycled content lowers emissions but cannot eliminate the persistent waste burden.
Policy and infrastructure are important factors. “Where deposit return systems and standard bottle pools are in place, return rates are high and logistics are efficient,” noted Dr. Rashid Sumaila, co-author, professor in IOF, and Director of FERU. “Germany’s system is a best example, with return rates above 90 percent and standardized packaging that lowers sorting costs. Similar investments in reuse infrastructure in many regions would have a tremendous impact as more attention is given to plastic pollution.”
The authors urge beverage companies and governments to combine reuse with stronger recycling efforts, noting that investments in return and washing systems can cut carbon emissions, conserve resources, and deliver long-term cost savings.
“Is reusable beverage packaging better than single–use plastic” by Ibrahim Issifu and U. Rashid Sumaila was published in Sustainable Futures (2025).
Tags: faculty, Ibrahim Issifu, IOF postdoctoral fellows, plastic, Rashid Sumaila, recycling, Research, supply chain