Ottawa, Canada, is preparing to trial a city-wide reusable packaging system for everyday consumer products. The initiative, known as the Reuse City Canada Project, will examine whether reuse can work across many shops and brands at the same time, rather than in small, isolated trials.
A city-wide system means the same reusable containers can be used, returned and reused across an entire city. Shoppers buy products in durable packaging, pay a small refundable deposit, and return the empty containers at participating stores.
The packaging is then collected, professionally cleaned and put back into circulation. The aim is to make reuse as simple and convenient as recycling, but available across many retailers.
City-wide reusable packaging system planned for Q3 2026
The Reuse City Canada Project is led by The Consumer Goods Forum through its Plastic Waste Coalition of Action, working with Reposit, a company that operates returnable packaging systems.
The project is scheduled to launch in Ottawa in the third quarter of 2026.
The pilot will initially focus on home and personal care products, such as cleaning and hygiene items. Customers will be able to buy selected products in reusable containers at participating shops, return the empty packaging in-store, and receive their deposit back.
Project organisers say the trial is designed to show how reuse can work alongside existing recycling systems, rather than replacing them, and whether shared reuse infrastructure can operate smoothly at city level.
Retailers, brands and technology partners involved
A wide group of retailers, brands and suppliers are taking part in the pilot. Retail and brand participants include Loblaw, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, Unilever and Walmart Canada.
Packaging and technology partners include Amcor, Avery Dennison and IBM. Reposit will act as the delivery partner, overseeing how the system works in practice, from store return points to transport, cleaning and data management.
Shared return locations, washing facilities and tracking systems are intended to support a consistent experience for consumers, regardless of which participating store they use.
Why the pilot matters for packaging and waste reduction
The Ottawa trial is part of a wider move towards circular packaging, where materials are reused many times instead of being thrown away after a single use. While recycling remains important, reuse is increasingly seen as another way to cut packaging waste, particularly plastic.
Large-scale reuse has been difficult to implement so far, mainly because of cost, logistics and convenience for shoppers. City-wide pilots like the Reuse City Canada Project are designed to test whether these challenges can be overcome in real retail environments.
The project is supported by public and industry funding, including backing from the Government of Canada, Handelens Miljøfond (the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund) and the Canada Plastics Pact. Supporters say the results could help guide future reuse schemes in other cities and countries.
If successful, the Ottawa pilot could provide a practical example of how reusable packaging systems might be rolled out more widely, helping reduce single-use packaging and supporting longer-term circular economy goals.
