What is ReuseScore?

How it works

1. 1 Scan the barcode or enter it manually
2. 2 Answer a few questions about the container — takes about 1 minute
3. 3 Immediately see what others have observed about this packaging

Which packaging?

Screw-top jars, glass bottles, pump dispensers, large containers — anything that empties and might get a second life. No sign-up, no user account. ReuseScore collects observations on each individual container: its condition, handling, and the decision whether to keep or discard it — and if kept, for what: refilling, storage, decoration, or upcycling. If ReuseScore doesn't know a product yet, you assign the container yourself — screw-top jar, glass bottle, pump dispenser, or large container. If none of these fit, it's probably not what ReuseScore currently covers.

Label, cleaning, effort

Whether a container gets reused often comes down to seemingly small obstacles. Can the label be removed cleanly — or does adhesive residue mean extra effort? Similarly with cleaning: a container that's easy to clean and doesn't retain odours is more likely to be considered for a new use than one where residue or smells remain despite washing. The less overall effort, the more likely reuse becomes. ReuseScore measures exactly these thresholds — on real containers, not in theory.

Closures and attachments

Sometimes the closure determines whether a container gets reused. A bottle with a swing-top closure is more likely to be kept than one without — the closure makes the container valuable. With attachments such as spray heads or dosing pumps, it's the reverse: the attachment itself gets reused, for example as a permanent dispenser on a refill container. ReuseScore records both cases separately.

What happens to the data

Every observation is included anonymously in the analysis. The results are visible on the Discover page: the relationship between label removability and reuse, the distribution of usage types, and a comparison of kept rates by packaging type.

The analyses update automatically with each new observation — no editorial step in between. Individual observations are not accessible; only aggregated results are publicly available.

Scientific background

ReuseScore sees itself as a research approach, not a recycling campaign. No one has yet systematically recorded what influences the decision to keep or discard an empty container — and what role the label, closure, and effort play. This platform aims to fill that gap with real observational data rather than assumptions.

Two questions are central: Does label removability affect whether a container is kept? And what role does the closure play — as a reason to keep the container, or as an independently reusable part?

Looking ahead

Some attachments find uses that no manufacturer intended. A washing-up liquid nozzle becomes a plant sprayer; a spray head serves for years on changing refill containers. Which closures and attachments get a second life most often — and for what purpose — only becomes clear once enough observations come together.