Beyond the Recycling Triangle: The New Symbol for Reuse

A new symbol is showing up on cups, bottles, and return bins — and it isn’t the recycling triangle. It marks something recycling never could: proof that an item belongs to a working reuse system.

A Symbol for a System, Not an Item

Recycling’s triangle just means a material can theoretically be reprocessed. The new reuse symbol certifies something different: that the container sits inside a real loop — collected, washed, and redistributed, again and again — by a system built to take it back. The right question shifts from “can I reuse this?” to “is this part of a system designed to bring it back?” 

Recycling reprocesses the material; reuse keeps the same item circulating intact.

Recycling reprocesses the material; reuse keeps the same item circulating intact.

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Where It Came From — and Why It Appears Where It Does

The symbol is the result of Rebrand Reuse, a 2025 design initiative from the PR3 Global Standards Panel (part of PR3, the Global Alliance to Advance Reuse), drawing 236 entries from 29 countries. The winning design, by Bogotá-based Epigrama Studios, was tested with over 1,275 respondents across 17 countries to ensure it reads as distinct from the recycling triangle.

PR3 licenses the mark only to systems with real infrastructure for collection, sorting, washing, and redistribution — which is why it appears on more than just the container itself, including return bins, transport routes, certified wash facilities, and the signage or apps that guide a return. Spotting it in any one place signals the rest of the loop exists too.

An illustrative view of the touchpoints a licensed system covers

Where It’s Already Showing Up

Early adopters include:

• Huskee (Australia), Muuse (Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore), Eco-Dahab (Egypt), Re-Universe (UK), Bold Reuse (US)

• A VTT Finland / University of Vaasa deposit-return pilot for grocery and takeaway packaging

• Stadiums, concert venues, and festivals — controlled sites where collection loops are easiest to manage

  
  

What Has to Change Behind the Symbol

A logo doesn’t create a reuse system — it marks that one exists. The real work is PR3’s broader standards, built with 80+ organisations, covering container design, collection logistics, washing, and digital tracking. That’s why reuse sits above recycling on the waste hierarchy: it skips reprocessing, extending a container’s life to between 10 to 100 uses. It only works if cities and retailers actually build and share that infrastructure — which PR3’s certification programmes are now trying to standardise.

The symbol’s value isn’t in judging any one container — it’s a signal that a system, not a guess, stands behind it.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Images from author