Reusable Food Packaging Conference

Programme

09:30 – 10:00 | Breakfast, registration and networking

10:00 – 10:15 | Welcome to the Change(K)now final conference
Mette Boye, Deputy Director at Gate 21, and Aija van der Steina, Project Manager of Change(K)now

Opening remarks setting the scene for the day and reflecting on three years of collaboration, testing and learning across the Baltic Sea Region.

10:15 – 10:30 | Setting the scene: The future of reusable food packaging in Europe
Rasmus Nordqvist, Member of the European Parliament

The transition to reusable food packaging is gaining momentum across Europe, driven by new legislation, climate ambitions and growing demand for circular solutions. Rasmus Nordqvist, Member of the European Parliament, shares the latest developments in the implementation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and what they mean for businesses, municipalities and citizens. Drawing on his legislative work and dialogue with industry, he reflects on the opportunities and challenges of scaling reusable packaging systems.

10:30 – 11:30 | Meet the pilots in the exhibition area: Lessons from three years of testing reusable food packaging systems

What does it actually take to make reuse work in practice? Visit the exhibition area and meet the organisations behind Change(K)now’s pilot projects. Explore tested solutions from public catering, events, takeaway services and municipal strategies, learn from practical experiences and setbacks, and discuss opportunities for replication and collaboration.

11:30 – 12:00 | How do we design behaviour for successful reuse systems?
Sille Krukow, Behavioural Design and Nudging Expert

Reusable food packaging systems are, to a large extent, a behavioural challenge. Even the best-designed reuse solutions only succeed when people actively choose them – again and again. And in a future where reusable packaging increasingly becomes the default, it will be crucial to design systems that make reuse intuitive and effortless.

In this presentation, behavioural design and nudging expert Sille Krukow shares insights into why people do not automatically change their habits and how behavioural design can make reusable packaging the easy, attractive and natural choice.

Drawing on experiences from projects for the European Commission, Joe & The Juice, Copenhagen Zoo and Torvehallerne, Sille shares practical insights into how nudging, communication and behavioural design can support the implementation and wider adoption of reusable packaging systems.

Participants will gain insights into how behavioural design principles – combined with the strategic use of colours, shapes, icons and other design elements – can make the transition from single-use packaging to well-functioning reuse systems both easier and more effective.

12:00 – 12:45 | Lunch and networking

12:45 – 13:45 | Policy conversation: From pilots to systems – who needs to do what?

Over the past three years, Change(K)now has demonstrated that reusable food packaging systems can work in practice. The challenge is no longer a lack of solutions, but how to scale them beyond pilot projects.
Based on the project’s policy recommendations, representatives from the municipal, national and European levels will discuss who needs to take responsibility for the next steps. The conversation will explore how to create demand for reuse, build systems that work across sectors and regions, and overcome the regulatory, financial and organisational barriers that still prevent large-scale implementation.

• Heidrun Fammler, Baltic Environmental Forum Germany – Lead Author of the Change(K)now Policy Recommendations
• Sarosh Qureshi, City of Copenhagen
• Representative from the German Environment Agency (to be confirmed)
• Representative from the European Environment Agency (to be confirmed)
• Representative from the New European Reuse Alliance (representative to be confirmed)

13:45 – 14:00 | Coffee and cake

14:00 – 14:50 | Workshop: Your roadmap to reusable food packaging systems

How can the experiences and lessons from Change(K)now support your own journey towards reuse? In this interactive session, you will explore barriers and concrete opportunities to implement reusable food packaging in your own organisation. Discuss with peers and project experts and leave with new ideas, useful contacts and a clearer understanding of concrete next steps towards implementation.

14:50 – 15:00 | Reflections and closing session

A brief wrap-up of the day’s key insights and a look ahead at the future of reusable food packaging systems in Europe.

15:00 – 16:00 | NGO session

Through workshops, NGOs will have the opportunity to share practical experiences and successful approaches to citizen engagement, waste prevention, and behavior change. Participants will gain concrete insights from real-life pilots and reusable packaging initiatives, including evidence on what communication strategies work best to build public acceptance and encourage the adoption of reusable systems. The session will provide practical tools, examples, and lessons learned, while creating opportunities for new partnerships with municipalities, businesses, and other NGOs in the Baltic Sea Region. It will focus on how NGOs can both learn from tested circular solutions and play an active role in engaging citizens and accelerating the transition away from single-use packaging.