As cities face rising mountains of waste—much of it from single-use packaging for food and beverage services—momentum is building for a new kind of urban infrastructure: One that values reusability over disposability. This was the core focus of a dynamic accelerator session at the World Circular Economy Forum (May 2025, São Paulo, Brazil). Representatives from cities, businesses, and partners of the project Circular City Labs – Testing reusable packaging systems in cities (CCL) came together to explore what it takes to make reuse work on the ground.

A paradigm shift in progress: From linear to circular

A fundamental sustainable transformation is underway—a paradigm shift from a linear economic model to a circular one rooted in rethinking, reducing, recovering, regenerating and reusing.

“Reuse is one of the most important approaches we have. It’s a smart solution because it’s relatively easy to implement and scalable,” said Paola Castañeda, Circular Development Officer at ICLEI World Secretariat.

But this shift is about more than swapping out materials; it’s about reprogramming the machinery of our urban systems and economic thinking. “We are not just talking about replacing materials, we are talking about changing mindsets,” emphasized Ana Villegas, founder of the Colombian reuse startup Xiclo. Reuse, she said, entails time, discipline, and cooperation across the value chain. Even widely promoted alternatives, such as cardboard and compostables, often still end up in landfills. “We need to move beyond materials to rethink entire systems,” she urged.

Medellín as a living lab for reuse innovation

Cities are at the heart of the climate, biodiversity and waste crisis—responsible for roughly 75% of global resource consumption and 60% of emissions. That’s why they also hold the greatest potential for transformative solutions. “This is exactly the space where Circular City Labs is focusing,” said Camilo Herrera, advisor at GIZ Colombia, highlighting the project’s commitment to piloting reuse-based systems as a core response to the climate emergency.

“We are focusing on upstream innovation—on packaging systems that can be reused for their original purpose, offering a tangible solution to reduce urban waste and greenhouse gas emissions,” Herrera explained. He emphasized that what sets the CCL project apart is its gender-responsive approach and multi-stakeholder collaboration, tailored to local realities and designed to build inclusive, scalable solutions.

One such innovation space is Medellín, Colombia, a city that has become a living laboratory for reuse. Medellín currently generates around 100,000 tons of solid waste annually—48% organic and 31% recyclable—yet only 26% is currently reused or recycled.

Building on this reality, GIZ partnered with Impact Hub Medellín to create Ecogiro, a business acceleration programme focused on circularity and returnability. This initiative helped local businesses design and test pilot projects, bringing circular economy practices from concept to reality.

Among these pilots is Xiclo, a reuse system implemented in the city’s municipal driver’s rest area—a high-consumption zone previously generating over 120,000 disposable coffee cups per year. Through a smart dispenser system, users receive reusable cups linked to personal profiles, return them for industrial washing, and reuse them multiple times. The impact has been immediate: Reduced waste, energy savings, and approximately $2,100 in annual cost reductions, excluding broader environmental benefits. 

“The Xiclo model demonstrates how circular solutions can be embedded into daily routines, even in spaces often overlooked in policy discussions,” said Camila Ramírez Puerta, project lead from the City of Medellín. With CCL support, the city also developed a city-wide reuse roadmap, aligned with national sustainability goals and built through inclusive stakeholder input and technical assessments.

Policy tools for reuse

“Cities are complex systems,” Paola Casteñeda explained, “and our job is to translate that complexity into practical frameworks and approaches that engage all stakeholders.” Turning ideas into systems requires structured support. ICLEI has developed a policy toolkit to help local governments implement reuse systems and to advance the circular economy effectively. This policy toolkit focuses on:

1. Regulation, such as bans on single-use plastics or mandates for sorting and collection.
2. Economic instruments, like tax incentives, eco-fees, or sustainable procurement.
3. Cooperation, involving voluntary agreements with retailers, manufacturers, and hospitality sectors.
4. Education and knowledge, to shift public perception and build institutional capacity.

In Turku, Finland, former Mayor Minna Arve, current member of the City Council and ICLEI First Vice President, as well as Chair of the Circular Development Portfolio, underscored the importance of integrating all four policy areas, but cautioned that these are often constrained by national legislation, making multi-level dialogue essential. “We must ensure that ‘value’ within the reuse sector is unlocked, not just to policymakers, but to consumers, companies, and especially to those who may be negatively impacted,” she said, referencing businesses built around single-use models.

On economic measures, she urged balance: “We must ensure reuse systems remain accessible to all residents, regardless of income.” She warned against over-relying on temporary financial incentives for business models, as their withdrawal can collapse entire initiatives. Instead, she called for long-term regional planning and cooperation between neighboring municipalities to scale up reuse infrastructure.

Camila Ramírez Puerta echoed this, emphasizing that the key value to unlock at the city level is collaboration, particularly between municipalities, companies, and stakeholders involved in shaping local policies. “For a successful transition toward reuse and returnability systems, cities must work hand in hand with stakeholders to co-design policies, share responsibilities, and align implementation,” she said. 

Reuse as culture, not just policy

Education and cultural engagement, Councillor Arve argued, are the “glue” that holds reuse initiatives together. Beyond policy, embedding reuse in everyday life requires cultural shifts. Through the Creative Circular Cities project, for example, Turku uses art to challenge consumption norms and inspire sustainable behavior.

“Art and culture have great potential to shape residents’ attitudes toward a resource-wise lifestyle,” said Councillor Arve. Through collaborations with artists, students, and businesses, Turku is turning circularity into a visible, shared value. She concluded with a compelling figure: Replacing just 20% of single-use packaging could generate a €10 billion opportunity, “But only if cities and businesses work together effectively,” she warned.

Financing the shift and the accountability gap

But even the best policy frameworks face a familiar barrier: Financing. Léa Gejer Struchiner, technical coordinator at ICLEI South America, argued that one of the biggest hurdles is the lack of clear accountability for who funds the transition. “In places like Brazil, the idea of ‘shared responsibility’ means that, in the end, no one is really responsible,” she said.

This vacuum of responsibility undermines investment and delays system-scale innovation. However, there are signs that market pressure is beginning to shift this equation. “No major consumer brand wants to see its logo on a polluted beach,” Gejer Struchiner remarked, pointing out that reputational risk is increasingly pushing companies to explore circular alternatives.

Still, unlocking finance will require more than brand management. Ana Villegas emphasized that reuse needs volume, standardization packaging, and connecting with existing waste logistics systems to be economically viable. She  pointed out the need for clearer guidance and the integration of reuse into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, which currently favor recycling over reuse. “We must flip the hierarchy—reuse should come first, not last,” she urged. 

Toward a shared circular future

Cities are not waiting for perfect solutions. They are testing, piloting, and scaling circular approaches to make reuse systems work. But making reuse systems thrive requires more than good intentions—it demands coordination, infrastructure, regulation, cultural change, and, above all, multi-stakeholder collaboration.

As Paola Castañeda reminded, “Reuse offers a powerful step toward cleaner, healthier cities. Now, the challenge is making it the norm.”

*The CCL project is carried out by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with ICLEI as a supported partner. It is funded through the BMZ Initiative for Climate and Environmental Protection (IKU). 

*This blog was written based on the WCEF’s Accelerator Session: “Cities tackle single-use and promote reusable packaging”. Watch the recording here.