Not So Reusable: Why Strapping Bands May Be the Wrong Target for Circular Packaging Rules

Maria Isabel Salinas
Jun 1
3 min read

As the EU moves closer to enforcing its Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), industries are facing increasing pressure to shift from disposable to reusable packaging systems. Yet, a new study suggests that one packaging component—plastic strapping bands—may not be suitable for reuse, despite their inclusion in the regulation.

Commissioned by the Projekt-Allianz-Umreifungsbänder (Project Alliance Pallet Strapping) and carried out by GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung in Mainz, the research sheds light on the technical, logistical, and environmental barriers to replacing disposable strapping bands with reusable alternatives.

Reuse Requirements: Misaligned with Reality?

According to Article 29 of the proposed PPWR, transport packaging must increasingly shift to reusable solutions. However, Germany, like many other member states, remains far from reaching these targets. Although strapping bands account for only a small share of packaging by weight, the regulation considers them essential for conversion to reusable systems.

This new study questions that logic. Strapping bands, much like the labels or screw caps on reusable bottles, are often indispensable disposable elements. Removing or replacing them without compromising the system’s safety and functionality is a complicated challenge.

Evaluating the Alternatives

GVM’s study compared three prominent reusable packaging systems that could potentially replace single-use strapping bands:

Mesh boxes with tension straps
Tension straps or nets with tarps or panels
Reusable strapping bands with strap clips

Each of these solutions presented a unique set of challenges:

High costs associated with switching systems
Increased logistical complexity, including storage, transport, and maintenance
Technical degradation after limited use due to UV exposure, rust, or mechanical stress

Reusable strapping bands, in particular, lose their tensile strength and elongation properties after the first use, making them unsuitable for reliable load securing without intense quality control measures after every cycle.

“Reusable packaging cannot function properly without some disposable components,” the report highlights. “In many sectors, one-size-fits-all alternatives simply don’t exist.”

Complicated Logistics, Limited Gains

Perhaps most critically, the study underscores the logistical burden of implementing reusable alternatives across sectors. Return logistics, intermediate storage, and maintenance routes introduce a level of complexity that, in many cases, outweighs the environmental benefits.

Additionally, each sector would require custom-tailored solutions to meet their unique product requirements, significantly increasing implementation costs. Despite the environmental advantages of reuse in theory, the report concludes that strapping bands do not lend themselves to a scalable, circular reuse model.

Not a Rejection of Reuse—but a Call for Realism

The study does not argue against reusables entirely. On the contrary, it emphasizes their successful use in highly standardized systems—automotive mesh boxes or plastic containers in food logistics, for instance.

However, applying blanket reuse mandates to all packaging elements, including low-weight items like strapping bands, is impractical and potentially counterproductive.

“For the broad range of applications that currently use disposable strapping bands, no existing reusable solution can fully substitute,” the authors state.

Read the Full Report

To explore the full findings and implications for EU packaging regulation and industry practices, you can access the complete study here:

👉 Read the full document

About the Research

This independent analysis was conducted by GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH in Mainz, Germany, on behalf of the Projekt-Allianz-Umreifungsbänder, and published on May 2, 2025.

For more information, visit www.verpackungsmarktforschung.de or contact the alliance via their official channels.