After nearly 3 years, all Circular City Labs project partners and stakeholders gathered in the Munich Urban Colab for the project closure. In the spotlight: 8 pilot businesses from Albania, Georgia, Colombia and South Africa that have been supported by GIZ to develop and test reusable packaging systems across various sectors – ranging from gastronomy and cosmetics to IT services and events.

This diversity shows that reuse systems can be adapted to very different sectors and customer needs. 

Beyond highlights and challenges, the pilots identified several key learnings: 

• Behaviour change takes time & repetition. 

• Incentives matter: Rewards can increase return rates. 

• Awareness is key: Customers need tailored communication & clear guidance. 

• Trained & informed staff can ensure smooth reuse transactions. 

• Shared infrastructure & technology: collaboration makes reuse scalable. 

Curious about the pilot businesses?
Explore how they developed reusable packaging systems in the Circular City Labs via this interactive PDF. 

Reuse plays a promising role for a functioning circular economy

Kendra Knöbl from BMZ joined the stage and emphasised that reuse can play a promising role for a functioning circular economy: It avoids waste at the source, lowers climate impacts, and creates new economic opportunities. 

Other event highlights included: 

• First scientific insights from HafenCity University Hamburg: 50% of the project pilots already achieved measurable GHG savings. 

• An ICLEI-led session with city representatives from Tirana, Medellín & Munich on how municipalities can foster reuse initiatives together with the private sector. 

• Accelerator organisations reflecting on collaboration with the pilot businesses & how they will continue to push reuse forward. 

• Engaging workshops on day 2 for municipal representatives, partners & businesses to discuss next steps to keep the reuse systems running. 

• A reuse rally through downtown Munich, offering participants a first-hand experience of reuse systems already active in Germany. 

The closing event highlighted the ongoing commitment to promote reuse solutions beyond the project’s end. The last weeks of the Circular City Labs project will be dedicated to gathering lessons learned and sharing the results to inspire further action towards inclusive and circular economies. 

Since 2023, the Circular City Labs (CCL) global programme has been supporting female entrepreneurs and cities in four countries as they transition towards inclusive and circular economies. The project is transforming packaging systems in urban areas by inviting local businesses to develop and test reusable packaging solutions. On the long run, the project is aspiring to reduce CO2-emissions by preventing waste, especially single-use items like cups and food containers. 

The project is carried out by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) commissioned by the ​German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is funded through the BMZ ​Initiative for Climate and Environmental Protection (IKU).