The launch, by PR3: The Global Alliance to Advance Reuse, comes amid increasing pressure to address both the plastic pollution and climate crises, alongside growing recognition that recycling alone is unlikely to deliver the scale of change required to reduce packaging waste.
According to PR3, only 9% of plastic waste is currently recycled globally, with the majority ending up in landfill, incineration or the natural environment.
As a result, reuse systems are gaining momentum as an alternative to single-use packaging.
The organisation says reuse systems can reduce the production of single-use packaging by as much as 90% when deployed at scale.
Global design initiative
The symbol was developed through Rebrand Reuse, a global design initiative launched by the PR3 Global Standards Panel in 2025 to create a universal identifier for reusable packaging and reuse systems.
A total of 236 submissions were received from designers across 29 countries, representing every continent except Antarctica.
The winning design was selected following an international review process, consumer research and legal assessment.
The symbol was created by Nicole Ascanio Rodriguez and Juan Navarrete, co-founders of Bogotá-based Epigrama Studios.
Juan Navarrete, co-founder and designer at Epigrama Studios, said: “We wanted to create a symbol that communicates return, continuity and circulation – something simple enough to travel globally, but meaningful enough to represent a new relationship with materials and waste.
“The symbol understands time not as a straight line, but as a spiral: returning, restoring and beginning again.”
According to PR3, the design underwent multiple rounds of jury review and global market testing involving 1,275 respondents across 17 countries.
It was assessed against criteria including distinctiveness, memorability, recognisability, cultural adaptability and the ability to encourage consumer action.
The symbol was also evaluated to ensure it could be clearly distinguished from the existing recycling logo and its familiar “chasing arrows” Möbius loop.
Deployment begins
The symbol is now being introduced across a range of reusable packaging formats and reuse infrastructure worldwide.
Applications include reusable cups, food containers, beverage bottles, cleaning and homecare packaging, collection bins, logistics vehicles, signage and marketing materials.
Among the organisations deploying or working to integrate the symbol are reuse operators in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
In the UK, digital reuse platform Re-Universe is among the first organisations adopting the new symbol.
Re-Universe enables reusable systems across venues, events, retail environments and visitor attractions, using digital technology to track return rates, reuse cycles and environmental performance.
Its systems are currently operating at sites including Blenheim Palace and the Eden Project, where the company says hundreds of thousands of single-use items have already been eliminated while reducing associated carbon emissions.
Register for free to comment