Circular Economy, Recycling & Remanufacturing worked example

Reusable Packaging Loop Cost at 110% trips assigned to this product or customer lane: a worked example

This scenario runs the reusable packaging loop cost calculation on the strong side: 110% trips assigned to this product or customer lane, with every other input held at its documented default. a team needs to compare reusable packaging with single-use packaging or set loop charges for a customer lane, packaging pool, or monthly loop plan

The inputs for this scenario

  • Packaging loop trips: 18,500 trips (unchanged)
  • Cost per reusable packaging trip: 1.65 $ / trip (unchanged)
  • Trips assigned to this product or customer lane: 110 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 100)
  • Fixed washing, tracking, repair, or pool-management cost: 6,200 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable reusable packaging trip cost = packaging loop trips × cost per reusable packaging trip × trips assigned to this product or customer lane) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 39,778 total reusable packaging loop cost for total reusable packaging loop cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2.15 $ / piece for loop cost per packaging trip.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 33,578 $ for variable reusable packaging trip cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,200 $ for fixed washing, tracking, repair, or pool-management cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where trips assigned to this product or customer lane sits at 100% and the headline result is 36,725 total reusable packaging loop cost, this scenario comes in 8.31% above the baseline at 39,778 total reusable packaging loop cost.
  • Use it when sizing a returnable-container program, allocating pool cost to a customer lane, or comparing reusable versus single-use packaging. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Total reusable packaging loop cost: 39,778 total reusable packaging loop cost (headline result)
  • Loop cost per packaging trip: 2.15 $ / piece
  • Variable reusable packaging trip cost: 33,578 $
  • Fixed washing, tracking, repair, or pool-management cost: 6,200 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Reusable Packaging Loop Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.