Reusable container system in Anykščiai: lessons from the project

In July 2025, Anykščiai District Municipality in Lithuania launched a reusable container system for takeaway food as part of Change(K)now!. A year later, the containers are used not only in cafés but also at children’s camps, the town festival, an international sports competition and a poetry festival.

How the system works

The municipality purchased more than 1,000 reusable containers and handed them over to participating cafés and restaurants. Customers pay a deposit of €3 or €4 and get it back when they return the container to any participating café. The café then washes it for the next customer. Today, 16 cafés, snack bars and catering points take part in the network. In November 2024, the municipal council also approved rules on the use of reusable containers, which apply to all catering businesses in the municipality.

Building the system was the hardest part. Participation was voluntary, and cafés had practical questions about storage, washing time, costs and customer interest. In 2025, creative workshops brought cafés, the municipal team, cultural and community organisations and residents to the same table. As a result, the system was developed together rather than “imposed by the municipality”.

Beyond cafés

Twelve replication cases have been recorded: ten already implemented and two planned. In summer 2026, 260 children at six camps ate from reusable containers, including 176 at a 24-day robotics camp. Several of these initiatives came from staff at cultural and educational institutions who had attended Interreg training on reusable containers. Containers were also used at the town festival (around 5,000 visitors), at a stage of the motocross world championship, and at a poetry festival, where a pilot restaurant served more than 150 portions.

Since September 2026, students at the Aukštaitija Vocational Training Centre canteen can take food away in reusable containers for a refundable deposit. The municipality is also preparing a measure to phase out single-use plastic at public events from 2027, which is still awaiting council approval.

Lessons for other municipalities

• Start small: test the logistics with a few motivated cafés instead of waiting for the perfect moment.
• Build together: develop the model with businesses and residents, and answer their everyday questions.
• Talk from day one: present the idea clearly, listen to concerns and keep everyone informed about results.

Practice also showed what still needs work:

• Different dishes need different containers.
• Cafés and organisers need initial support to buy containers.
• People need clear information on where to return them.

Municipalities interested in a similar system are welcome to contact Anykščiai District Municipality. You can also read our interview with Daiva Žiogienė on how the pilot started.

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