European companies are rethinking packaging as rising costs, labor shortages, and new regulations expose the limitations of single-use systems. A new Tosca white paper argues that reusable packaging and pooling are becoming critical infrastructure for building more resilient and efficient supply chains.
As European businesses grapple with rising costs, labor shortages, and new packaging regulations, reusable transport packaging is increasingly being viewed as a strategic supply chain asset rather than a disposable operating expense. That is the central message from a new white paper released by Tosca, which argues that reusable packaging and pooling systems are becoming essential infrastructure for companies seeking to improve resilience while managing regulatory and financial pressures.
The white paper describes reusable packaging as the infrastructure and pooling as the operating model that allows those assets to scale efficiently across large networks.
According to Tosca, supply chains across Europe face a combination of escalating packaging costs, persistent labor shortages, growing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, and the implementation of the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Together, these factors are forcing companies to rethink traditional single-use packaging models.
“Packaging has long been treated as a consumable cost, but that model is becoming harder to sustain,” said Laurent Le Mercier, EMEA President at Tosca. “With regulation tightening alongside cost and labour pressures, reusable packaging is becoming core infrastructure. It enables businesses to reduce waste at source while improving cost predictability and operational resilience.”
Packaging Shifts from Consumable to Infrastructure
The company’s white paper frames reusable packaging as a shift from a “cost-per-unit” mindset to a “cost-per-use” approach. Rather than continually purchasing, handling, and disposing of packaging materials, reusable assets circulate through the supply chain for multiple trips, spreading costs across many cycles. The paper notes that many organizations are now evaluating packaging through a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) lens that includes storage, labor, damage reduction, compliance costs, and waste management rather than simply comparing acquisition prices.
One of the more striking arguments in the report is that reusable packaging should be viewed much like other supply chain infrastructure. Just as warehouses, transportation fleets, and automation systems are designed to support long-term operational performance, reusable pallets, crates, trays, and bulk containers provide a durable platform that can improve consistency across supply chains. The white paper describes reusable packaging as the infrastructure and pooling as the operating model that allows those assets to scale efficiently across large networks.
Labor availability is another major driver. Citing industry research, Tosca notes that 76% of supply chain and logistics leaders report active workforce shortages. These challenges are particularly acute in warehousing and transportation operations, where packaging-related handling, waste management, and repacking activities consume valuable labor resources. Reusable packaging systems can reduce handling requirements while supporting more standardized processes.
Why Reuse Is Becoming a Strategic Supply Chain Decision
The white paper also highlights the growing role of packaging in automation initiatives. Automated systems depend on consistent dimensions, weight, and performance. Variability in packaging can create equipment jams, increase exception handling, and reduce automation efficiency. Standardized reusable packaging, by contrast, can help create more predictable flows and support future automation investments.
Transportation efficiency represents another opportunity. According to the report, transport accounts for roughly 10% to 25% of total supply chain costs. Standardized reusable assets can improve vehicle utilization, stacking performance, and load stability. Tosca reports that its reusable plastic crates can enable up to 25% more merchandise per truck and more than 6% higher stacking performance due to rigid interlocking designs.
Regulation may ultimately prove to be one of the strongest catalysts for change. The PPWR and evolving EPR frameworks increasingly emphasize waste prevention, reuse, durability, and lifecycle performance. As compliance costs become more closely linked to packaging choices, reusable systems may offer advantages by reducing waste generation while supporting traceability and circular economy objectives. The report notes that policy across Europe is increasingly aligned with the waste hierarchy, which prioritizes prevention and reuse ahead of recycling and disposal.
The Tosca white paper is available for download.
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.
