10 bars and restaurants in the city are betting on the future with reusable containers for drinks and takeaway food, joining an innovative project that already has the participation of 6 European cities: Paris, Berlin, Rotterdam, Ghent, Leuven and Barcelona

Barcelona, 16 July 2024 – The 22@Network Barcelona collaborates with the Fundació Rezero to promote the momentum of a new European initiative aimed at reducing single-use packaging and promoting the use of reusable packaging for takeaway food and drinks in Barcelona. This innovative project, which is also taking place in cities such as Paris, Berlin, Rotterdam, Ghent and Leuven, aims to establish reusable packaging as common practice across Europe in the next 3-5 years.

Goals of the project

The project, which is being developed this year in Barcelona, has the following main objectives:

• Promote reuse: Increase social knowledge about the benefits of reusable packaging and encourage its use. 
• Encourage participation: Encourage the involvement of bars, restaurants, canteens and companies in takeaway food and drink initiatives with reusable packaging.
• Create synergies: Establish collaborations between different agents to strengthen the necessary infrastructure for packaging reuse.

Strategic collaborations
The initiative is led by the Rezero Foundation and has the collaboration of 22@Network Barcelona to implement this project within the association's Business and Sustainability Committee, encouraging the integration and active participation of partner entities in the district 22@.

Vasovengo, Bumerang, Las Mercedes and several affiliated restaurants also participate. In addition, it has the support of Barcelona City Council, Urbaser, the Barcelona Restoration Guild, the Eix Comercial del Poblenou and several companies that offer rewards, such as leisure or cultural experiences after returning a reusable packaging 21 times.

List of participating restaurants: takeawayretornable.cat 

On the other hand, the project will enjoy great visibility thanks to the support of Clear Channel, which will provide more than 100 mupis throughout the city. Also from Westfield Glòries (partner of 22@Network Barcelona), which is currently offering a showcase to publicize the initiative through the artwork and complaint of Art is Trash, which used single-use containers to raise awareness about the problem.

View the artwork: https://fb.watch/t6f3HMJ1K9/ 

Operation of the project
Users of the 10 establishments joining the initiative, and those who join in the future, must pay a small deposit for each glass or reusable container at the time of purchase. This deposit is fully refundable upon return of the empty container. Thanks to the use of advanced mobile applications, the management of deposits is simplified, ensuring that the containers are returned within the established deadlines to avoid any additional surcharges. This system not only promotes environmental sustainability, but also fosters a culture of shared responsibility in waste management in Barcelona, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future for the city.

At the same time, participating establishments will be able to enjoy benefits such as:

Legislative compliance: Adaptation to current legislation on single-use packaging and promotion of reusable ones.

• Bonuses: Possibility of obtaining a 10% bonus on the public price of waste from the City Council.
• Customer loyalty: Creation of a network of participating establishments and customer loyalty.
• Economic savings: Cost reduction in single-use packaging.
• Convenience: Ease in the provision and control of packaging stocks.

Statement by Luis Jaime de Antonio, President of the Association's Business and Sustainability Committee and Marta Beltran de Rezero and representative of Les Tres a la Cuina, one of the first establishments to offer returnable takeaway

Luis Jaime de Antonio, President of the 22@ Network's Business and Sustainability committee, declares: "Every day society is becoming more aware of the need not only to recycle, but to reuse the products we use in our day-to-day lives . The amount of waste we generate is increasing, and initiatives like this help to reduce it. We hope that this project will be welcomed by everyone in the district and that more and more establishments will join in order to have a more sustainable and lasting city and world.”

Marta Beltran, project director at Rezero, says: "We have been suffering for decades from the exponential increase in the amount and complexity of products that become waste too quickly. We need to stop talking about whether we do, and start plan how we do it, because there are already initiatives that offer solutions and that need support to be able to overcome structural obstacles and that the sector can build a city ecosystem. We need to be a mature society in order to stop talking about recycling and act to prolong the use of the containers".

Representative of the establishment Les Tres a la Cuina: "Offering returnable packaging has helped us to be able to provide a sustainable alternative and add value to our business. We have always been very concerned about the environment and the waste we generate as a food establishment for take away. With the returnable take away, we can provide another alternative to single-use plastic."

A call to action
Barcelona, with the support of 22@Network Barcelona and the Rezero Foundation, is calling on consumers to choose establishments that promote the use of reusable packaging. This action not only contributes to a cleaner city, but also allows us to move towards a future with less waste and more environmental responsibility, creating a community of people committed to sustainability. With this initiative, Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to the environment and marks the path towards a future with less waste and more environmental responsibility.