Citeo takes stock of the solutions supported as part of the ‘EncoRE plus de réemploi’ call for projects

‘Developing new solutions that will help achieve the 10% reuse target for packaging by 2027 set by the AGEC law’ : this is the ultimate goal of Citeo’s ‘EncoRE plus de réemploi’ call for projects, which aims to support players in the sector in order to initiate the transition of production and consumption patterns towards reuse.

In 2023, 144 projects were selected for a total budget of €35 million. In 2024, Citeo has stepped up a gear with 228 projects shortlisted for a total budget of €50 million.

As specified by Citeo, these 228 winners represent all players in the reuse sector: marketers, solution providers (innovation in washing, traceability, new materials, etc.), groups of players and federations. 87% of the projects concern pre-packaged goods for reuse by professionals, 6% concern bulk goods, 4% concern refilling and 3% concern mixed models.

Among the various sectors, beverages and food remain in the majority, but non-food products are gaining ground (20% of the total).

In parallel with this funding, Citeo’s experts are also supporting 65 projects with strong potential for standardisation, innovation or pooling across all sectors. ” Citeo is working on all fronts to make reuse more widespread in France. We are working with all stakeholders, both to roll out a large-scale, shared reuse system in supermarkets with ReUse, and through this call for projects to test and identify the reuse systems of tomorrow in all sectors. The aim is to roll out an economically and environmentally viable reuse system that will win the support of consumers,” summarises Jean Hornain, CEO of Citeo.

In the press release accompanying this report, the mission-driven company also highlights the three key lessons learned from this call for projects:

• Education about reuse is essential and requires clear, consistent communication.
• The environmental argument alone is not enough; price and product visibility remain decisive factors.
• The practicality of the return process is crucial to building consumer loyalty.