Well Pack in the European Reuse Barometer 2025: When Reuse Works in the Real World
We are proud to be part of the European Reuse Barometer 2025 – the most comprehensive European data collection to date on how reusable packaging systems actually perform in practice. Already in the summer, we contributed real operational data from our day-to-day activities, adding a small but important piece to a bigger picture that clearly shows: reuse has moved beyond the pilot phase.
The results were presented at the AMI Refillable and Reusable Packaging Event in Berlin and make one thing clear: reuse is no longer just a concept. It is increasingly an industrial reality – in logistics, in pooling systems, and in circular flows that must work reliably every single day.
What is the European Reuse Barometer?
The Barometer is considered the largest European study mapping reuse systems based on real operational data. It brings together insights from 115 companies across different industries and shows how dynamically reusable packaging systems are developing – not as a marketing idea, but as an operational performance.
Why this data matters
Sustainability is often less about the “stage” and more about everyday work with muddy shoes on: adjusting processes, optimizing circulation, improving washing and sorting logic, enabling repairs, and resolving bottlenecks. This is exactly where the scalability of the circular economy is decided.
What the study clearly shows: reuse is growing because people work on it every day – with routines, discipline, continuous improvement loops, and yes: sometimes a lot of Excel.
Some compelling real-world figures
The data in the Barometer offers rare insight into how many cycles reusable packaging already achieves in practice:
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Plastic crates lead with an average of 82 cycles
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Reusable cups reach around 30 cycles
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E-commerce reusable packaging averages 24 cycles
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Glass bottles reach about 19 cycles
These figures help evaluate reuse objectively – and focus effort where it delivers real impact.
Digitalization makes reuse easier (when done right)
One key takeaway: people return packaging when it is easy enough to do so. Digital tools – from tracking to return mechanisms – add value when they reduce friction and ensure that returning packaging is not a hurdle, but a seamless part of the process.
Our perspective at Well Pack
At Well Pack, we work every day where circularity becomes reality: cleaning, handling, quality control, and – wherever possible – repairing reusable components. That is why we are especially pleased that our practical operational data has contributed to a European benchmarking initiative.
Reuse should not just sound good – it should run well.
Thanks to the people behind the data
A big thank you to the team behind the European Reuse Barometer (InOff Plastic and partners), and to all companies and employees who make reuse systems work every single day.