Here's how to improve reuse rates through design and digital technologies

Photo: Bobby Donald/Unsplash

In terms of their environmental footprint, reusable packaging performs better than single-use deposit systems. However, they have only been able to establish themselves on a broad scale in a few areas. This is also a question of design.

If there is a consent on the circular economy, it is probably this: Re-use is always better than recycling. The classic example of this: A reusable glass bottle causes 55g less CO2 emissions per liter of water than a disposable PET bottle. That may not sound like much. However, when converted to consumption in Germany as a whole, it means that 1.25 million metric tons of CO2 could be saved in non-alcoholic beverages alone if we were to abandon disposables altogether. Or, to put it in even less abstract terms: an amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions of 570,000 passenger cars traveling 15,000 kilometers per year.

There is, however, a catch to this calculation. Germany is a long way from distributing all glass bottles via reusable systems. The reusable rate is currently 41%. For other types of packaging, there is still much more room for improvement.

When reuse works

At the same time, experience also shows that if a system is well established, available at all times, and can be managed without much additional effort, reuse rates of 80% and more can be achieved, as the example of beer shows. There is also a high level of general approval for reusable containers. Over 90% of Germans see this solution as the more sustainable form of packaging. In practice, however, reuse has not yet been able to establish itself to such an extent. 'The industry's reservations and rejection of reusable packaging are generally based on the old errors. People are then happy to simply scale up the existing systems along with all their mistakes - but one must never forget the development that is taking place in parallel and creating completely new conditions,' says PACOON managing director Peter Désilets.

Ellen Matthies, Professor of Environmental Psychology at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, explains that the gap between aspiration and reality is partly due to the general conditions: "Many people want to be environmentally friendly and act in accordance with climate protection. But the conditions found in our society provide little support for an ecological lifestyle. In fact, one's own behavior in everyday life is influenced by many other factors.'

A system for the future

In packaging, design is one of these factors, a very essential one in fact. Just to give one example: Sturdy packaging made of metal, glass or plastic that allows easy cleaning is often an essential criterion that determines whether a reusable solution will be enforced. And this is just one point among many. As part of the CYRCOL project, PACOON is therefore working together with manufacturers from a wide range of industries to develop a system that will make reusable possible through good design and good framework conditions, even – and especially – in places where this is not yet self-evident. Anyone who wants to take part can find out more here. Some key points of the future system have already been defined. These include

– Stackability to minimize space requirements in logistics
– Modular design to allow filling sizes to be varied as required
– Packaging designed that it can be recycled back to the original container material if it is worn out or damaged
– Centralized production and stocking of packaging
– The ability to integrate proprietary packaging, into the system
– Regional cleaning stations rather than stand-alone solutions
– A return system that includes more than just retailers, making it easier for consumers to return, such as by including gas stations, deposit vending machines, or train stations

Considerations to business models are implented using a system based on these ideas. These include billing on a pay-per-use basis, so only the packaging quantities actually used by the filler are charged, and pre-financing of the packaging by CYRCOL. The packaging itself will also be able to be tracked digitally, which among other things will make it possible to refund the deposit credit digitally. “I can imagine that new reuse systems will quickly establish themselves, especially abroad, because these countries are starting from scratch and don't have to repeat all the mistakes of the past decades that happened in Germany. Developing countries are also starting with 5G mobile networks as the latest technology and not with edge and UMTS and 3G“, says Désilets.

But Germany – and here we are again with the digital component – has good preconditions to leverage the potential of reuse: “We could be pioneers in the area of reuse with digital technologies. A multi-billion market is emerging here with a view to packaging, cleaning, transport, tracking, consumer communication and billing systems. We at PACOON have been involved in this market for years and are driving the new system ourselves with our CYRCOL approach."

Here's how to improve reuse rates through design and digital technologies

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