- Reuse refill packaging sales are forecast to increase by a CAGR of 4.5% to 2029
- Developing end uses are growing nearly four times faster than mature end uses
- The global reusable and refillable packaging market is expected to grow by over $7 billion to over $35 billion by 2029.
The latest exclusive data available in the new Smithers report – The Future of Reusable and Refillable Packaging to 2029 – show that in 2024, global value will reach $28.20 billion.
Across all segments, future growth is forecast at a +4.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to 2029, yielding a market value of $35.36 billion in its final year.
Globally, the market is dominated by existing re-use/refill bottle formats (glass, PET, metal) and industrial transit formats (drums and rigid intermediate bulk containers (IBC), etc.). These mature segments will see incremental growth across the Smithers forecast period.
B2C Reuse Refill Packaging to Experience Rapid Growth
In contrast, the most exciting area of the market, however, is new consumer re-use and refill concepts. While still a nascent segment, Smithers data modeling shows sales will increase at +15.0% CAGR to 2029, more than doubling in value and approaching $1 billion in sales by the end of the decade. This covers new business options for consumer goods—refill at home, return from home, and refill in-store.
These models are becoming especially popular in the personal care and home cleaning markets, with major CPG firms competing with dedicated e-commerce sellers. Penetration is driven by the desire to experiment and provide tangible proof to customers of the brand’s commitment to a more sustainable future for our planet.
Packaging designers must innovate, providing more resilient pack designs that endure longer service lives, including multiple refillings, without compromising functionality or aesthetics. This fosters innovation for new refillable metal containers, durable plastics, and more robust caps and dispensing fixtures.
For these concepts to be effective, Smithers identifies four key priorities for pack design:
- Optimizing convenience for the purchaser
- Carefully balancing price and functionality
- Creating consumer incentives
- Linking seamlessly to integrated logistics and support tools.
As this happens, CPG brands increasingly use smart technology to enhance the user experience, with services such as automatic refill deliveries for registered subscribers.
Europe is poised to expand its reuse systems following the recent agreement of the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). It will require all member states to establish deposit return schemes for plastic and metal drink packaging from 2029, closely followed by mandatory targets for 10% re-use formats in most beverage segments from 2030. This will stimulate significant regional investment and provide practical exemplars for how and when re-use/refill models can contribute to wider circular economy goals.
The report includes a detailed analysis of reuse refill business models, the evolving regulatory landscape, best-use concepts, and emerging commercial challenges for packaging converters, retailers, and CPG brands. This is quantified via a comprehensive dataset segmenting this rapidly developing sector by:
- Packaging sector: Industrial/transit; Mature consumer; Developing consumer
- End-use application: Drinks; Industrial/transit; Home care;
Cosmetics & personal care - Packaging material: Plastics; Glass; Metal
- Geographic region: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America,
South & Central America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa.
This market report is available from Smithers, priced $6,750 (€6,350, £5,475).
For more information about Smithers, please visit https://www.smithers.com/
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
