The Economics of Reuse Systems

Reuse means using packaging multiple times instead of discarding it after one use. That sounds simple, but making it work requires collection, washing, transport and return systems — all of which cost money.

This helps explain why some businesses remain cautious. However, a Zero Waste Europe and Searious Business study⁠ suggests the economics can change when reuse operates efficiently and at scale. Importantly, the study does not compare today’s average reuse system with today’s average single-use system. It compared the profitability of a 100% optimised reuse system to an optimised single-use packaging system.

The study identifies three factors as especially important: return rates, the number of times each package is used and how quickly it comes back into circulation. When these conditions improve, the initial cost of reusable packaging can be spread across more uses and the system can become more economically viable.

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Scale is therefore crucial. Shared collection networks, standardised packaging and efficient washing can reduce costs that would be harder for individual businesses to absorb alone. Zero Waste Europe’s policy recommendations⁠ similarly argue that coordinated infrastructure, economic incentives and regulatory certainty can help reuse systems reach economies of scale.

The wider market is beginning to develop. The European Reuse Barometer 2025⁠ surveyed 115 reuse companies across Europe. Half were already profitable, while 61% of those not yet profitable expected to become so within three years.

At the same time, the economics of single-use packaging are changing. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation⁠ introduces new waste-prevention, recyclability and reuse requirements, with several measures applying from 2030. The rules also increase producers’ responsibility for packaging and its waste-management costs.

That changes the comparison.

Reuse does not necessarily have to become dramatically cheaper on its own. If single-use packaging becomes more expensive while reuse systems become more efficient, reuse can become the more economically viable option.

For businesses, the question may therefore be shifting from “Why invest in reuse?” to “When does reuse become the better financial choice?”

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

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