The terms “reuse” and “recycling” are widely used – but what exactly do they mean? The Glossary on Reuse explains these and many other technical terms relating to reusable packaging systems and provides a shared basis for describing and comparing sustainable packaging solutions.

The bilingual publication places reuse and recycling within the waste hierarchy, explains the differences between single-use and reusable packaging, and outlines key factors for comparing the systems. These include reutilization rates, numbers of rotations, loss and rejection, cleaning effort, and transport distances. An extensive collection of terms and definitions, graphical overviews, and a formulary support clear and consistent technical language.

The glossary was prepared by Jürgen Bertling, Marc Julian Brandt, Jan Blömer, Volker Lange, and Lukas Lehmann of Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Fraunhofer IML on behalf of the Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg. It is available as one combined German-English edition.