Reuse Sector Plans 690 New Jobs in Europe
A third annual European Reuse Barometer finds 95% of responding companies intend to recruit within two years.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Employment
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New ERA and Zero Waste Europe launched the 2026 European Reuse Barometer, the third edition of a yearly report on reuse and refill in Europe. The survey of 113 respondents found 95% of responding companies plan to recruit within two years, creating approximately 690 new roles.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that reuse and refill businesses see employment growth ahead, a signal relevant to labor markets as the sector scales. Respondents said policy and economic conditions are the most important factors for scaling.
The survey covered 113 respondents, with 77% at scale-up or in-market stage and 95% planning to recruit within two years. The report does not state how many of the approximately 690 projected roles will materialize, and the projections depend on policy and economic conditions that respondents identified as key to scaling.
The players
New ERA
New ERA is a organization that co-published the 2026 European Reuse Barometer alongside Zero Waste Europe.
Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe is a European network of local communities and experts working toward waste reduction, and it co-launched the 2026 European Reuse Barometer with New ERA.
The details
The 2026 European Reuse Barometer, published by New ERA and Zero Waste Europe, draws on survey results and key sector data to give an overview of reuse and refill across Europe. Among B2B respondents, eight of 11 report return rates above 95%, and seven of eight consumer-facing companies using penalty-based or hybrid return mechanisms report rates above 90%.
Timeline
November 9, 2026: The Barometer was launched and published online.
November 11, 2026: The Barometer is to be presented at the Packaging Europe Summit in Utrecht.
Within two years: Responding companies plan to recruit approximately 690 roles.
Market Landscape
The 2026 report is the third edition of the European Reuse Barometer, extending a yearly tracking series on reuse and refill across Europe. It documents sector growth at a stage when respondents say policy and economic conditions will determine how far companies can scale.
Companies in the reuse and refill sector plan to hire roughly 690 people within two years, which may open job opportunities for workers with relevant skills. The hiring outlook depends on policy and economic conditions that respondents say are key to scaling.
The takeaway
Reuse and refill businesses in Europe expect to grow their workforces, with policy and economic conditions cited as the main factors that will shape how quickly that growth happens.
What happens next
The Barometer is scheduled to be presented at the Packaging Europe Summit in Utrecht on November 11, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Employment coverage to see how sector hiring plans compare with wider labor market trends.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Packaging Europe.
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