A study commissioned by the Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg (SIM) has investigated the economic efficiency of single-use and reusable transport packaging in European fruit and vegetable logistics. According to the findings, reusable systems performed better economically in the base scenario in four out of five supply chains considered.
The study was carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML and LMS. Five European supply chains were analysed: apples from Germany, oranges from Spain, grapes from Italy, mushrooms from Poland and tomatoes from the Netherlands. The authors of the study looked at the entire logistical cycle in each case – from provision and packaging through to transport and processes in central warehouses and stores, right up to disposal or recycling.
Average cost advantage of 11.6 percent
According to the results of the study, reusable transport packaging was more economical than single-use packaging in four of the five use cases examined in the baseline scenario. Across all five supply chains, the authors determined an average cost advantage of 11.6 percent for reusables.
The differences were particularly large for tomatoes from the Netherlands and apples from Germany. According to the study, the total costs for the single-use option for tomatoes were 27.8 per cent higher than those for the reusable option. For apples, the figure was 22.9 per cent. Mushrooms from Poland were an exception, where single-use showed a cost advantage of 0.4 per cent.
Supply chain determines economic efficiency
The results also show that economic efficiency cannot be assessed solely on the basis of the costs of transport packaging. Crucial factors include packaging costs, transport distances, capacity utilisation and the design of processes along the supply chain.
The study therefore looks at the total costs of the respective packaging systems over the complete logistic cycle. Against the background of the EU Packaging Regulation PPWR, which has been applicable since 12 August 2026, the assessment of reusable systems is also gaining in importance.
Source: LMS Logistik Management Service GmbH
