Is deposit-return for reusable glass packaging a truly sustainable solution, or a misguided solution?

To answer this complex question, RDC Environment carried out a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for ADEME’s Observatory for Reuse and Reutilization, created under France’s 2021 Climate and Resilience Law. The study is now public and serves as a key reference on the environmental performance of reusable primary packaging versus single-use options. Click here for the full report (only available in French).

Designed to be broadly applicable, the work modeled many different representative industrial and distribution scenarios in the agri-food sector for 2025. It covers European production of packaging, filling in France, professional collection and industrial washing, and a wide range of real-world values for key parameters (packaging weight and size, transport distances, logistics, return rates, washing performance). This makes it possible to identify clear threshold conditions under which reuse is environmentally beneficial.

Main findings

• Reusable, deposit-returned glass packaging consistently shows lower environmental impacts than single-use glass.
• There is no universal outcome when comparing reusable glass to single-use packaging made from other materials: results depend on the packaging family, weight, transport distances, and number of reuse cycles. The study pinpoints the conditions and eco-design levers that make glass reuse advantageous.

As reuse systems scale up, these results aim to support decision-making for food manufacturers and producer responsibility organizations (PROs) helping prioritize the most favorable reuse cases and improve packaging sustainability in France.