The Reusable Container for Pre-Packed Food
Pre-packed food generates billions of single-use containers a year. We helped build one that comes back.
The Opportunity
Single-use packaging in pre-packed food has no second life. It is used once, disposed of, and replaced. Retailers knew reuse was coming — PPWR sets reuse targets for 2030 — but nobody had a container that could survive commercial dishwashing, protect fresh food, and plug into existing deposit infrastructure. The technology existed in beverages. In food, it was still a blank page.
The Solution
Working with CU-Mehrweg, we developed the CU-Box — a reusable container for pre-packed food. PSL managed structural design, material specification, component sourcing, and cleaning-cycle validation. The container is engineered to survive 25+ commercial wash cycles at 85°C without deformation — the threshold where most food-grade plastics fail.
The Impact
The CU-Box pilot launched with a German retailer, testing reusable packaging for pre-packed food in a live retail environment. Consumers return containers at standard deposit machines — the same infrastructure they already use for beverage bottles. No new behaviour required. PSL continues to support CU-Mehrweg on format expansion and retailer onboarding as the system scales.
Explore how PSL supports reusable packaging development, from structural formats and pilot requirements to testing and production implementation.