Reusable Transport Packaging (RTP): Europe’s hidden infrastructure for competitive and resilient supply chains

Brussels, 23 June 2026 – As the European Commission prepares its proposal for a Circular Economy Act (CEA), the Roundtable for Reusable Containers, Trays and Pallets (RCTP) is calling on policymakers to place reuse at the centre of Europe’s circular economy strategy an explicitly recognise reuse, and reusable transport packaging (RTP) in particular, as a strategic pillar of competitive and resilient supply chains.

Based on the Draghi and Letta reports, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the Competitiveness Compass, the Circular Economy Act is expected to play a central role in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, industrial resilience and strategic autonomy. Nevertheless, RTP remains one of the most effective yet overlooked circular solutions to achieve these objectives. While the current policy debate remains largely focused on recycling, secondary raw materials and waste management, proven reuse systems supporting industries from automotive and manufacturing to food, retail and healthcare already deliver tangible economic, environmental and strategic value across European supply chains.

In the fruit and vegetables sector alone, wider use of RTP could reduce product losses worth almost €100 million annually due to its robustness[1]. Lower lifecycle costs also make RTP an economically beneficial solution, already helping industries improve operational efficiency while reducing their dependence on constantly replacing their packaging. Designed for hundreds of rotations and lasting up to 15 years, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, requiring significantly less energy and freshwater over the lifecycle than single-use alternatives[2]. Reused, repaired and fully recycled, RTP prevents waste by design and reduces the need for new critical raw materials.

“Europe is looking for practical and scalable solutions that can strengthen competitiveness, improve resilience, and reduce environmental impact,” said Britta Wyss Bisang, Chair of the RCTP Business Group. “Reusable transport packaging already delivers on these objectives. It has been operating successfully across European supply chains for decades, yet reuse remains largely absent from the current Circular Economy Act debate. The Act should recognise reuse not simply as an environmental measure, but as a strategic asset that contributes directly to Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and sustainability objectives.”

In its position paper, RCTP calls on policymakers to include four measures in the Circular Economy Act:

• Place reuse at the heart of the Circular Economy Act, in line with the EU waste hierarchy.
• Harmonise EPR schemes across the EU and reward waste prevention through appropriate eco-modulation and by exempting reusable products from EPR fees.
• Use public procurement rules to favour circular solutions based on reuse and help scale up these business models in cases where the reusable option is also available.
• Introduce robust certification requirements for RTP products imported from non-EFTA countries to ensure fair competition and maintain the integrity of the EU circular economy.

According to the RCTP, the Circular Economy Act presents a unique opportunity to ensure that Europe fully leverages one of the most practical and effective circular solutions already available.

The full position paper is available at www.rctp.eu/less.

About the RCTP The Roundtable for Reusable Containers, Trays and Pallets (RCTP) represents the European reusable transport packaging industry. Its members manufacture reusable packaging solutions that support efficient, resilient and circular supply chains across Europe.

Media Contact RCTP Secretariat contact@rctp.eu +32 2 230 92 22

EU Transparency Register: 671703952269-44

[1]Grammel, M. (2025): Determining the breakage rate of single-use and reusable crates in the fruit and vegetable range. Fraunhofer-Institute for Materialflow and Logistics IML.

[2]Bersch, L. et al. (2025): Comparison of energy and water consumption and circularity when closing the loop of single-use and reusable packaging. Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT.