A packaging can be designed for multiple uses and never re-enter the intended circuit. The value of reuse depends on recovery, control and the possibility of using it again. The choice must consider the complete route, in addition to the characteristics of the purchased container.
I propose to define who returns the packaging and how it is collected. Cleaning or verification activities require technical criteria appropriate to the function. The economic comparison includes losses, transportation and necessary labor, avoiding dividing the cost by a number of merely imagined cycles.
In a hypothetical example, a container returns with subsequent deliveries, without a dedicated trip. The system may be different from one that requires additional withdrawals. The amount recovered and the condition at reentry allow to verify which cycles are actually possible.
The result must be measured through real uses and resources used. An environmental benefit requires proper comparison, without automatisms. Reusable packaging becomes part of a sustainable service when return is feasible and the network has the necessary activities to preserve its function.