Tackling plastic packaging waste through reusable packaging systems: a design tool and behaviour change recommendations

Abstract

Single-use plastic packaging waste is damaging the health of marine ecosystems, and this issue is required to be addressed urgently. This research focuses on applying Product-Service System (PSS) to Reusable Packaging Systems (RPSs) to address the primary food and household products packaging waste, by closing the loop of consumption, to make packaging stay longer in the system. The overall aim of this research is to provide support for packaging professionals to design PSS applied to RPSs. This PhD includes three parts. In the first part, the work has resulted in the creation of a design tool, including a classification system and 15 archetypal models. This creation process also led to the collection of variables that characterise the features of PSS applied to RPSs. The second part of this research aimed to understand how the classification system and archetypal models could support packaging professionals. Both have been iteratively evaluated and refined by a wide range of packaging professionals such as packaging consultants, reusable packaging providers, and NGO professionals to address plastic waste. After these testing activities, the completeness, clarity, usability, and usefulness of the design tool have been established. The third part of the research was dedicated to developing design recommendations to improve the user experience of particular reusable packaging offers. Design recommendations were developed through an iterative process of identifying the user acceptance issues embedded in selected cases, and applying strategies from Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB) to address them. The concluding chapters described how the research outcomes can be integrated, and how the research outcomes can fulfil the knowledge gap. They also proposed a design process, different scenarios of applications, knowledge arising from the comparison with other similar studies, limitations and future research opportunities. Keywords: Product-Service System, Reusable Packaging System, plastic waste, Design for Sustainable Behaviour, design tool, design recommendations