Workshop: “From Single-Use to Reuse – How to Design a Circular Food Delivery System

As part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project Change(K)now!, the Association of Polish Municipalities in the Pomerania Euroregion delivered an interactive workshop at Koszalin University of Technology on 22 September 2026, during an international summer school dedicated to the circular economy, Zero Waste Technology, and sustainable food and packaging solutions.

The workshop, “From Single-Use to Reuse – How to Design a Circular Food Delivery System,” was led by Patrycja Jeziorowska and Monika Zienkiewicz.

During the  session, they introduced the Change(K)now! project and shared examples of reusable solutions for public events, catering, and takeaway food services. They then challenged participants to develop a practical solution for a city event attended by 5,000 people, where food and drinks would be served without single-use packaging.

Working in small groups, participants designed their own reusable packaging systems, considering deposit schemes, collection and return points, logistics, washing and reuse, costs, financing, and the division of responsibilities between event organisers, catering providers, and users.

A key focus was on changing user behaviour and encouraging people to return reusable packaging so that it can circulate effectively. Each group presented its proposed solution, followed by a joint discussion on feasibility and the conditions needed to implement such systems at municipal level.

They concluded with a practical reality check, drawing on Change(K)now! experiences and discussing what would need to happen for these solutions to work in participants’ own cities and municipalities.

The workshop provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, explore practical approaches to circular food delivery, and inspire local authorities and other stakeholders to move from single-use packaging towards reusable systems.