Scientific studies on sustainability are crucial for the promotion of resource conservation and environmental protection. They provide valuable insights for developing strategies to optimise reusable systems and reduce environmental impact. In cooperation with environmental and trade associations as well as reusable-oriented companies, the Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg (SIM) analyses specific key topics every year and integrates the results into the environmental policy dialogue. These studies provide important data for a more sustainable future and support the long-term stabilisation and increase of reusable packaging in all economic sectors.
REUSABLE IS THE WAY FORWARD!
We took a closer look at the FEFCO figures and compared them with the results of Fraunhofer studies. Conclusion: Reusable plastic crates clearly offer both economic and ecological advantages over disposable cardboard boxes.
More reusable solutions for plastic packaging
Reusable systems are essential for reducing plastic waste and enabling a circular economy to function. Researchers at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Fraunhofer IML, who collaborate in the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy (CCPE), have compared three plastic-based reusable systems with their single-use alternatives for the Reusable Initiative Foundation (SIM). The result: reusable packaging is superior to single-use packaging in 14 of the 17 categories examined and offers great potential for the success of a circular economy. What is missing are clear political framework conditions and the implementation of the existing waste hierarchy, which actually prioritises reusable packaging.
Only 13 percent of the plastics produced in Germany are made from recycled materials, and in the packaging sector the figure is as low as 11 percent. In addition, only a very small proportion is reused for its original purpose; cascade uses (downcycling) generally dominate. Furthermore, Germany is the world's third-largest exporter of plastic waste after the United States and Europe. The EU and the German government have responded to the plastics problem: the production of some single-use plastic products has been banned, a recycled content quota has been imposed on PET beverage bottles, and since the beginning of 2022, the mandatory deposit on single-use beverage bottles has been extended to all types of beverages. "The EU's Green Deal and Taxonomy Regulation set the right direction for sustainable economic activity. However, we see the following problem: the waste hierarchy, which has been regulated in European waste law for decades, defines a ranking for the production and handling of plastic waste, in which recycling for multiple use is subordinate. However, this waste hierarchy has hardly been implemented to date," explains Jürgen Bertling from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and project manager of the study.
Circularity, performance and sustainability
Single-use solutions currently predominate, especially for plastic packaging. Some reusable systems can be found in the B2B sector, e.g. in the automotive industry and in fruit and vegetable transport. In the B2C sector, they are more the exception, such as transport crates for food from regional farmers. The aim of the current study by Fraunhofer CCPE on behalf of the Reusable Initiative Foundation was therefore to evaluate plastic-based reusable packaging systems, compare them with single-use alternatives and derive recommendations for strengthening the circular economy. To this end, the researchers analysed three reusable systems: fruit and vegetable crates (already established in the retail sector), plant trays (in preparation for large-scale use) and coffee-to-go cups (in the introductory phase). They were compared with the corresponding single-use solutions in the three areas of circularity, performance and sustainability in a total of 17 subcategories. The result: reusable systems offer clear advantages for all three demonstrators examined – from material efficiency and lower plastic emissions to better product protection thanks to more robust designs. For companies, reusable systems initially mean higher capital expenditure due to the establishment of logistics and return systems, storage space and cleaning technology. In the long term, however,
reusable systems prove to be more cost-effective and resource-efficient, strengthen the regional economy and contribute to increased technological sovereignty. "The decisive factors for the advantages of a reusable system are above all the number of cycles and the distribution structure: the higher the number of cycles and the shorter the transport distances, the better reusable systems perform compared to disposable ones. Decentralised pooling solutions are therefore essential here," explains Kerstin Dobers, co-author at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML. Compared to other packaging materials such as paper or wood, plastic has a number of advantageous properties – it is light, durable and chemically inert – and therefore remains the material of choice for numerous applications, especially in reusable systems.
Breakage rates Study 2025
High product safety thanks to reusable transport packaging. A new study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) shows that food destruction due to transport damage can be significantly reduced by using reusable packaging in logistics.
Reusable crates for fruit and vegetables have major advantages over disposable cardboard boxes, especially when it comes to protecting the goods being transported. According to a new study by the Fraunhofer Institute, the Initiative Stiftung Mehrweg (SIM) estimates that thousands of tonnes of food have to be destroyed every year due to transport damage. The choice of transport packaging (TPV) plays a decisive role here: the main cause of this avoidable food destruction is disposable transport packaging in particular.
