Reducing Single-use Plastics: Lessons from Germany’s RECUP System

Single-use plastics (SUPs) represent a significant challenge to global sustainability, with devastating impacts on ecosystems, human health, and waste management systems. Germany’s RECUP system, a reusable cup initiative, provides an effective model for addressing the problem by combining policy support, industry collaboration, and consumer engagement. This policy brief explores the key features of the RECUP system, evaluates its successes, and proposes three actionable strategies for broader adoption to reduce SUPs in metropolitan cities like Singapore, namely: (1) Implementing RECUP system through stakeholder engagement, (2) overcoming inconvenience barriers, and (3) promoting RECUP system through education. Together, these policy options could help kick-start the implementation of reusable packaging programs in dense urban environments.