Reusable Packaging Software for Brands and Retailers

Q · A

What does Rotion do for brands and retailers?

Rotion gives every reusable tray, tote and roll cage in your loop its own record, shared with your suppliers, carriers and wash partners. It shows which DC, store or supplier holds each asset and flags losses and slow returns. Deposits settle on scan evidence, and the same scans produce the reuse figures PPWR asks for.

Runs several packaging suppliers and pool operators at once
Each partner sees only its own part of the loop
Neutral: Rotion is no packaging supplier or pooler

01The problem

Pilots do not scale on spreadsheets.

Most retail reuse starts with one supplier in one category and region. Control slips when you add stores, products and partners.

P.01

Stores keep what they receive.

Empty totes and roll cages pile up in backrooms, and nobody knows the count until the next delivery runs short.

P.02

Every supplier has its own portal.

Crates come from one pool, trays from another and roll cages from your own fleet. The numbers never meet in one place.

P.03

PPWR asks for proof.

From 2030, 40% of transport and sales packaging must be reusable. Reuse rates per packaging category have to rest on evidence.

02Closed loop

Every link in your loop.

Suppliers, DCs, stores, carriers and wash partners scan what passes through their hands. Each one sees its own part of the loop.

01Suppliers
Dispatch filled trays and crates with one batch scan per pallet.
02DCs
Pick totes and roll cages for stores. Custody follows each load.
03Stores
Receive, return and count empties with a phone at the back door.
04Carriers
Confirm what they collect from stores and deliver to the DC.
05Wash centers
Log wash cycles and inspections, so reuse figures build up per category.
06Consumers
Return packaging at the store and get their deposit back.

03Repasys

Six competing retailers, one tray.

Repasys is Belgium’s first large-scale pilot for reusable food packaging. Six supermarket chains sell white mushrooms in one standard reusable tray, and consumers return it at any of them. Rotion runs the system behind it.

Reusable trays of white mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on a supermarket shelf, with deposit labels on the shelf edge — Repasys trays on the shelf

Participating retailers

Albert Heijn
Lidl

106,312packages in use

6retailers

€0.30deposit per tray

01
One identity per tray.
Every tray carries a QR code to the GS1 Digital Link standard. Rotion issues the codes and keeps the record behind each one, from the producer line to the return kiosk.
02
Return at any store.
Rotion supplies the scan stations and the in-store return kiosks. A return is designed to take less than three seconds.
03
Deposits cleared between competitors.
A tray bought at one chain can come back at another. Rotion tracks where each tray was sold and returned, and settles the deposit between the retailers.
04
Each partner sees its own part.
Retailers, the producer, the wash center and the logistics partners each see their own trays, and nothing commercially sensitive from the others.

Digital traceability gives reusable packaging a reliable and transparent lifecycle, with countless valuable insights. When we do this on the basis of open standards, a connected ecosystem emerges that speaks the same language, and we can work together towards efficient and scalable implementation. That is how we open the door to a circular future.
Karen ArkesteynGS1 Belgilux

Read the Repasys case study

04Returns

Bought here, returned there.

In an open loop, consumers return packaging wherever it suits them. Rotion follows each item across stores and settles the deposit between the retailers involved.

01
Bought at one store
The consumer pays a deposit with the product. The tray is linked to the store that sold it.
02
Returned at any store
The consumer scans the tray at a return kiosk in any participating store and gets the deposit back. The kiosk is built for a return in less than three seconds.
03
Washed and back in stock
Returned trays go to the wash center and back to the producer. Every wash is logged per tray.
04
Cleared between retailers
Rotion matches where each tray was sold and where it was returned, and nets the deposits between retailers automatically.

Deposit clearingWeek 41 · trays · € 0.30 deposit

Sample data

Sold at	Returned at	Trays	Deposit
Fresh Market	Daily Basket	420	€ 126.00
Daily Basket	Fresh Market	310	€ 93.00
Green Corner	Fresh Market	180	€ 54.00
Daily Basket	Urban Grocer	95	€ 28.50
Urban Grocer	Green Corner	60	€ 18.00

Net position this week

Fresh Market+ € 21.00
Daily Basket+ € 4.50
Green Corner− € 36.00
Urban Grocer+ € 10.50

The retailer that sold a tray pays its deposit to the retailer that refunded it.

Field results from operators running Rotion across pools, retail and industry.

28%

S.01fewer assets lost

S.02smaller fleet needed

575,310

S.03assets tracked

Trusted by these organizations.

05How it works

Supplier to shelf and back.

Suppliers, DCs, stores and wash centers scan with any phone or reader. Each scan moves custody, so you always know which site holds which asset.

01
Fill at the supplier
Trays and crates leave the supplier filled. One batch scan per pallet.
02
Through the DC
Totes and roll cages are picked for stores. Custody follows each load.
03
Shelf and return
Stores and consumers return empties. Returns and deposits log per asset.
04
Wash and report
Wash centers log cycles and inspections. Reuse figures build up per category.

06Platform

Control across every supplier.

Explore the platform

Store and DC balances

Balances per site and per packaging type, updated with every scan.

Loss detection

Autopilot flags stores and suppliers where returns slow down or assets disappear.

Deposit settlement

Deposits between suppliers, stores and consumers cleared on the same scan data.

PPWR reuse reporting

Reuse rates and cycle counts per packaging category and per market.

07Autopilot

It notices first.

Autopilot watches every scan in your loop, flags what is going wrong, proposes the fix with its reasoning, and acts once you approve.

How Autopilot works

Store 112 returned 22% fewer roll cages than it received over the last three weeks.

Why

Deliveries to Store 112 stayed flat while returns on the evening route dropped from week 38. Two other stores on the same route return normally, so the gap sits at this store.

Proposes

Ask the store manager to confirm the backroom count and add a collection to Thursday’s route.

ApproveEditconfidence 92%

Roll cages recovered this month412

Sample data

The assets retail loops run on Rotion.

Crates and traysFresh produce and retail

Totes and RPCsStore deliveries and e-commerce

Roll cages and RTIRetail logistics carriers

Repasys case study106,312 packages, 6 retailers

08PPWR

What PPWR asks of you, and when.

Brands and retailers that use reusable packaging have to run it in a reuse system and prove their reuse rates. These are the dates that matter for retail loops.

12 Aug 2026
The regulation applies.
The requirements for reuse systems are in force.
From Rotion
One record per item shows the system at work: issues, returns, washes and losses.
30 Jun 2027
Reuse rates get fixed rules.
The rules for calculating reuse rates apply.
From Rotion
Cycles and reuse rates per packaging category, counted from scans.
1 Jan 2030
Reuse targets apply.
At least 40% of transport packaging must be reusable. Transport packaging between your own sites, or between sites in the same member state, must be 100% reusable. The single-use bans in Annex V apply.
From Rotion
Reuse share per packaging category and per market, ready to report.
2040
Higher targets follow.
The regulation sets higher reuse targets for 2040, subject to a review by the Commission.
From Rotion
Years of history per item, so progress is on record.

Check your PPWR deadlines

Straight answers.

What operations and supply chain teams ask before they book a demo.

Book a demo

Q.01Do we need to choose one packaging supplier or pool operator?

No. Rotion is supplier-agnostic and runs several packaging vendors, pool operators and your own fleet side by side. Each asset keeps its history when you change partners.

Q.02What does PPWR require from brands and retailers?

Under Regulation (EU) 2025/40, operators using reusable packaging must take part in a reuse system since 12 August 2026. Calculation rules for the reuse targets apply from 30 June 2027, and from 2030 at least 40% of transport and sales packaging must be reusable. The PPWR Navigator lists the deadlines that apply to you.

Q.03Has Rotion run a retail loop at scale?

Yes. Rotion runs Repasys, Belgium’s first large-scale reusable packaging pilot for fresh food: 106,312 packages across 6 retailers, with a €0.30 deposit and returns at any participating store. Read the Repasys case study.

Q.04Can deposits be settled between competing retailers?

Yes. Rotion records where each item was sold and where it was returned, and clears the deposit between retailers from the same scans. No retailer has to reconcile by hand.

Q.05Who owns the data?

You do. Access and sharing rules are set per partner, so each supplier, store and wash center sees only its own part of the loop.

What does Rotion do for brands and retailers?

Pilots do not scale on spreadsheets.

Stores keep what they receive.

Every supplier has its own portal.

PPWR asks for proof.

Every link in your loop.

Six competing retailers, one tray.

One identity per tray.

Return at any store.

Deposits cleared between competitors.

Each partner sees its own part.

Bought here, returned there.

Bought at one store

Returned at any store

Washed and back in stock

Cleared between retailers

Supplier to shelf and back.

Fill at the supplier

Through the DC

Shelf and return

Wash and report

Control across every supplier.

Store and DC balances

Loss detection

Deposit settlement

PPWR reuse reporting

It notices first.

The assets retail loops run on Rotion.

What PPWR asks of you, and when.

The regulation applies.

Reuse rates get fixed rules.

Reuse targets apply.

Higher targets follow.

Straight answers.

Further reading.

How to reduce crate and pallet loss rates with returnable container tracking software (2026 guide)

PPWR reuse reporting: requirements, deadlines and tools (2026 guide)

How the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is changing the packaging industry

Put every tray on one record.