New ERA’s European Reuse Barometer, produced with InOff Plastic, Zero Waste Europe, and Planet Reuse, has launched its 2025 data call to track how reuse is scaling in takeaway, retail, and e-commerce. European brands, retailers, logistics providers, and reuse solution operators are encouraged to participate to help benchmark performance, identify best practices, and inform policy and investment.
The European Reuse Barometer is an annual, pan-European study that compiles the economic, environmental, and social impacts of reusable packaging systems. The inaugural edition analyzed 90 operating solutions and highlighted strong return rates and growing commercial viability—while also underscoring the need for supportive policy, financing, and shared infrastructure to reach scale. The 2025 round aims to deepen that dataset and close information gaps that still slow adoption.
Who should take part?
Eligible respondents include companies operating or piloting reusable packaging in Europe—solution providers, brands and retailers using reuse in any channel (takeaway, retail, e-commerce), logistics/cleaning partners, and related service providers. Insights are used to benchmark the sector, surface effective return/collection models, and guide investment and policy discussions tied to PPWR implementation.
How to participate (quick guide)
Confirm your organization runs—or is piloting—a reusable packaging program in Europe.
Prepare basic operational info the survey typically asks for (packaging/material types, return model, collection network, return/retention rates, profitability or cost indicators, and qualitative challenges/best practices).
Complete the online questionnaire for the 2025 edition (link below). Public highlights are aggregated; individual responses inform the Barometer’s analysis. Calls to participate have been issued by the partner network (New ERA, Zero Waste Europe, Planet Reuse).
Notable findings from the 2024 edition
Scope: 90 operating reuse solutions across Europe.
Roughly 80% reported return rates above 75%.
65% of retail-sector reuse solutions were profitable.
Financial incentives (deposits/fees) pushed returns above 95% in takeaway and e-commerce pilots.
Post-paid deposit models reclaimed 77% of packaging within five days.
About half of e-commerce solutions enabled mailbox returns, reducing friction for users.
RPN takeaway: Better operator data helps buyers, investors, and policymakers separate hype from proven models. If you run reuse in Europe, consider adding your numbers to the Barometer this year.
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
