STOPP HOLDS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING IN BERN, SWITZERLAND

The STOPP project partners gathered in Bern, Switzerland, for the 6th General Assembly Meeting, a two-day event hosted by ReCIRCLE. The meeting offered an important opportunity for the consortium to come together, review the progress achieved so far and align on the next steps for the project.

Over the course of the two days, partners took part in a series of working sessions covering the different areas of the project. The discussions focused on the overall progress of STOPP, the coordination of ongoing activities and the planning of future actions, including upcoming meetings and key project milestones. The General Assembly also provided space to address organisational matters and ensure that the consortium remains aligned as the project continues to move forward.

Alongside the meeting sessions, participants had the chance to discover the city of Bern through a guided tour, which offered a memorable opportunity to experience the local atmosphere and better understand the context in which reuse solutions are being implemented. One of the highlights of the visit was learning more about practical reuse strategies through Tibits Bern Bahnhof, a restaurant located in the city that is actively engaging with circular takeaway solutions.

The visit provided a clear example of how reusable packaging systems can work in everyday life. It was particularly striking to see people across the centre of Bern using ReCIRCLE takeaway boxes as part of their daily routines. This visible presence of reusable solutions throughout the city showed how circular practices can become familiar, convenient and widely accepted when they are well integrated into local habits.

The General Assembly in Bern was therefore not only a valuable moment for project coordination, but also an inspiring opportunity to see reuse in action. The experience reinforced STOPP’s commitment to supporting more sustainable packaging practices and promoting solutions that can help reduce single-use packaging across Europe.

The event also highlighted the growing political and institutional momentum behind circularity and reuse, with the visit of President Emmanuel Macron underlining the increasing relevance of reusable packaging at the highest policy level. STOPP would like to thank everyone who visited the booth, joined the discussions and contributed to the exchange of ideas on how to build more circular packaging systems for the future.