Who Leads the World in Reuse? A Country-by-Country Look at What’s Working (and Why)

If you’ve ever wondered why reuse feels “normal” in some countries — and painfully hard in others — it usually comes down to one thing: system design. Not vibes. Not greenwashing. Not whether people “care enough.”

The countries leading the world in reuse have built the same core ingredients:

1. Policy that makes reuse the default (not just “nice to have”)

2. Infrastructure that makes returns easy (dense return points, reverse-vending, logistics)

3. A financial nudge (deposit, fee, or incentive that creates real behaviour change)

4. Clear standards (what’s in scope, who pays, how it’s tracked)

5. Convenience at scale (reusables available everywhere, collected everywhere)

Below is a practical, on-the-ground comparison of how different countries stack up — and what Australia can steal (in the best way).

Tier 1: System leaders where reuse is normalised

Germany: the “Pfand” blueprint

Germany is the poster child for high-performing return systems. Its deposit return scheme is often cited as one of the world’s highest performing, with return rates reported around 98% for eligible containers. TOMRA

Why it works:

• Deposits are meaningful, and returns are everywhere (supermarkets, shops, machines).

• Behaviour is cultural now — because the system has been around long enough to become routine.

What Australia can steal:

• Dense return network + consistent rules. If returns feel like effort, return rates fall.

Norway: performance incentives + industrial efficiency

Norway’s deposit system delivers 92.3% return rate in 2023, backed by strong operators and a “make it easy” approach. TOMRA+1
There’s also a clever performance-driven policy lever: environmental taxes can be reduced/waived when collection performance is high, aligning industry incentives with outcomes. SINTEF

What Australia can steal:

• Incentives that reward performance, not promises.

Finland + Denmark + Sweden: the Nordic muscle memory

Across the Nordics, deposits and returns are woven into daily life. Finland is frequently highlighted for exceptionally high return performance (often reported in the high 90s). Sensoneo
Sweden continues to scale its system and adjust deposit settings as needed, keeping participation high and normalised. TOMRA+1

What Australia can steal:

• Reuse works best when it’s boring and automatic.

Tier 2: Strong regulation + rapid scale-up

France: “AGEC” law + a hard push against single-use

France has been aggressive with circular economy policy through the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy (AGEC) law, with goals like phasing out single-use plastic packaging by 2040 and driving major reductions. content.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org+1

France’s approach is powerful because:

• It combines bans/restrictions with a long-term direction of travel.

• It signals to industry: invest in reuse now or get left behind.

Where it struggles (like many countries):

• Reuse needs consistent infrastructure and operational models to match the ambition.

Netherlands + others: fast expansion where litter becomes political

A pattern you see across Europe: when litter becomes visible and annoying, policy speeds up. In several countries, deposit schemes expand over time (adding cans, new categories, higher deposits). TOMRA

What Australia can steal:

• Start with what’s easiest to scale (cups, event venues, closed-loop), then expand.

Tier 3: Big markets with patchwork progress

UK, US, Canada, Australia: the “bits and pieces” problem

Large countries often have multiple systems competing at once — local rules, different deposits, inconsistent product scope, and mixed infrastructure.

In the US, evidence repeatedly shows deposit return systems outperform kerbside-only collection — with much higher return/recycling rates where deposits exist. Reloop Platform
Australia has elements of this too through state-based container deposit schemes (CDS), but reuse (as opposed to recycling) still needs more consistent national direction.

The big issue:

• Fragmentation kills scale. Brands and operators need one repeatable model.

The upside:

• These markets are huge — once a winning model is proven (especially in events/stadiums), it can spread fast.

This is where Revibes fits perfectly:

• Events are “controlled environments” where reuse can hit high return rates.

• You can build the habit loop: Cup → return point → wash → redeploy — over and over again.

Tier 4: Early-stage, high potential (policy pilots + behaviour systems)

Singapore: behaviour design in public dining

Singapore introduced mandatory tray and crockery return expectations in hawker centres and food courts, backed by infrastructure and enforcement pathways. National Environment Agency
It’s not a “cup reuse system” per se — but it’s a great example of normalising return behaviour at scale.

Singapore is also planning broader container return measures, with public targets discussed for high return rates. Ministry of Sustainability

South Korea: strong waste policy culture, moving on disposables

South Korea is known for policy-driven waste systems and tech-enabled behaviour nudges (for example, RFID “pay-as-you-throw” food waste systems in cities like Seoul). The Guardian
On disposable cups specifically, Korea continues to signal new restrictions (including moves to stop “free” disposable cups and revise cup-related policy mechanisms). Korea Joongang Daily+1

What Australia can steal:

• You don’t just ask people to do the right thing — you build the system so the right thing is the easiest thing.

The real global pattern: deposits are the fastest “cheat code”

Across jurisdictions, the lesson is clear: deposit-based systems routinely outperform kerbside-only models — because they create:

• higher return rates,

• cleaner material streams,

• and stronger consumer habits. Reloop Platform+1

Reuse takes that one step further:

• Not just “return for recycling”

• But “return for washing and redeploying” — meaning the same cup replaces hundreds of single-use items over its lifetime.

What this means for Revibes (and Australia)

If Australia wants to lead reuse globally, it won’t happen through awareness campaigns alone. It happens when:

• venues adopt reuse as standard,

• return points are obvious,

• staff flows are dialled,

• washing is industrial, certified, and cost-efficient,

• and customers feel like returning is just part of ordering a drink.

The best part? Events and stadiums are where the world is already proving reuse works — because they’re high-volume, contained, and operationally controllable.

So the real opportunity for Australia isn’t to copy Europe perfectly — it’s to build the world’s best event-to-venue reuse network, then expand that muscle into broader hospitality.

Reuse leadership isn’t a slogan. It’s logistics, incentives, and repeatable systems — and the countries leading the world have already shown the blueprint.

If we build it right, Australia doesn’t have to catch up. We can leapfrog.