March 7, 2025 – As the ready-to-drink beverage industry booms, consumers enjoy more choices, but the issue of single-use plastic packaging waste is becoming increasingly prominent. According to a report released by Free From Plastic, the total amount of plastic waste generated by China’s food delivery and new tea beverage industries annually reaches a stunning range of hundreds of thousands to millions of tons. Recently, during the online sharing session titled “Reusable Cups – A New Trend for Catering Entrepreneurship,” experts and entrepreneurs jointly explored the prospects and challenges of reusable cup development.
At the event, Fu Zhijian, chief engineer of the Guangdong Provincial Association of Circular Economy and Resource Comprehensive Utilization, pointed out that promoting reusable cups is essential for the green transformation of the catering industry. It requires joint efforts from packaging manufacturers, product producers, sellers, and consumers to form a complete green packaging system. Pilot projects initiated by enterprises, driven by policy, are crucial. According to Ding Yi, project manager at Free From Plastic, a combination of policy measures will powerfully promote the thriving development of the reusable cup industry. Meanwhile, companies’ own sustainability goals are also important driving forces. Domestic tea beverage enterprises are going public and expanding overseas, with social responsibility and sustainability objectives becoming their internal motivation to launch pilot projects.
Chang Xinjie, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Asia region at Tomra Group, stated that the circular model has better economic cost-effectiveness compared to the single-use model, being both environmentally friendly and economical, and relevant departments to promote and popularize. Han Zhengxi, founder, and CEO of PRUNCUP, believes that improving the convenience of using reusable cups is key to expanding the project scale, such as setting up machines for renting cups. Furthermore, Chinese consumers’ awareness and acceptance of reuse models continue to increase. A survey report by Free From Plastic shows that 66% of respondents recognize the environmental and economic advantages of reuse models. However, hygiene remains a concern for some consumers. By strengthening science popularization, optimizing product design, and disclosing cleaning and disinfection processes, consumer trust and acceptance can be effectively enhanced.
It’s worth mentioning that the reusable cup projects in Jeju Island and Aarhus, Denmark, have achieved remarkable results, providing valuable experience for reducing single-use plastic waste. The industry believes that reusable cups, with a reuse model at their core, are becoming a significant force driving sustainable development. In the future, with the joint promotion of policy support, market innovation, and public participation, China’s ready-to-drink tea beverage industry is also expected to gradually adopt this approach.