Innovation Community Reusable Systems: The Breakthrough to the Circular Economy in Germany (MEHRCE)
The Breakthrough to the Circular Economy in Germany
With our innovation communityMEHRCE, as part of the DATIpilot funding directive, we aim to jointly advance the reusable packaging transition in Germany and position the country as a pioneer in the circular economy within the packaging sector. It brings together over 200 stakeholders from the reusable packaging sector - including reusable packaging system operators, producers, retailers, research institutions, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations.
Although reusable systems are already established in the beverage and some transport packaging sectors, there are still challenges in implementing them in other areas: due to the long-standing dominance of single-use systems, these have an economic advantage and switching to reusable systems involves transformation costs. Furthermore, the economic and ecological benefits of reusable systems only become apparent after several cycles or at a certain scale. These systems also require collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, meaning business relationships and value creation networks need to evolve. These challenges cannot be solved by a single actor — they require collaborative and co-creative approaches along the entire value chain of reusable packaging.
Our innovation community MEHRCE addresses these challenges by initiating and supporting selected collaborative projects for implementation, facilitating cross-industry collaboration, and promoting cross-sector (knowledge) transfers and synergies. With the innovation community, we aim to build on the activities of the existing network including the Mehrwegverband, the Allianz Mehrweg.Einfach.Machen, and many others — and we are excited to continuously grow our community, for example through our barcamps.
Project Consortium
The management team of the MEHRCE innovation community consists of the Wuppertal Institute, the Mehrwegverband Deutschland e.V., the Kühne Logistics University (KLU), and Leuphana University of Lüneburg. We handle community management, set thematic priorities, and lead the content-based decision-making process for selecting community projects. The project executing agency Projektträger Jülich (PtJ), in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is responsible for the legal and funding-related review of the community projects.
Funding Guidelines
MEHRCE is one of twenty innovation communities set to be supported under the BMFTR DATIpilot Funding Guidelines. The funding guidelines provide financial support for both community management and community projects, with a total budget of €4 million allocated to one community. The project is running from 01st of February 2025 to 31st of December 2028.
How does the innovation community work?
Our community is divided into three innovation phases (IP):
IP 1: Challenge Partnerships
Addressing key challenges within the community.
In this innovation phase, we had a total of €1 million available to support various challenges over a two-year period. After thorough evaluation by our Strategic Management Team and our Strategic Advisory Board, the following projects were selected:
EmpInVision: Automated inventory tracking of empty packaging using computer vision technology in the beverage wholesale sector, Fraunhofer IML & Pro Mehrweg
HyMehr: Safety and hygiene for reusable containers – technology, standards, and documentation, Remondis Resource Management GmbH, miho Inspection Systems GmbH & Fraunhofer IPM
CUHUB: Reuse hubs for reusable packaging in the FMCG food sector – integrated filling and cleaning solutions, CU Mehrweg GmbH & two practical partners and one research partner
We recognize the immense effort invested in each individual proposal – a big thank you to all contributors!
IP 2: Innovation Contests
Supporting collaborative projects that appear most important and promising to all members of the MEHRCE community.
In the second innovation phase, we adopted the approach of an innovation contest, allowing the community (organizations with voting rights) to decide which projects should be funded—true to the motto: “Power to the Community!” A total funding volume of €2 million was available, with project durations not exceeding two years.
A total of 25 excellent project proposals were submitted, and 83 organizations were eligible to vote. We received 52 valid votes from the community. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in the voting process. This engagement, along with the submitted project proposals, once again demonstrates how committed and active our MEHRCE community is.
The MEHRCE Strategic Management and Strategic Advisory Board thoroughly discussed the results of the community voting and followed the community’s ranking in their validation meeting. More information about the project selection in innovation phase 2 will follow shortly.
IP 3: Innovators in Residence
Knowledge and expertise are not only located within organizations, but also reside in individual people.
Applications for this innovation phase can be submitted in summer 2026, with projects starting in May / June 2027.
The goal of Innovation Phase 3 is to leverage knowledge within organizations and among individuals, and to transfer it across the community. To achieve this, the “Entrepreneurs in Residence” principle will be used. Individual innovators will be placed within other organizations to foster mutual synergies and stimulate knowledge exchange. Up to 20 individuals will receive a stipend enabling them to spend three months within a community organization. A total budget of €500,000 is available for this phase.
Barcamps as Community Hubs
We plan two Barcamps where the innovation community will meet to discuss current topics together. At these events, we will present the respective innovation phases and jointly prepare for them. One Barcamp was held on 15 May 2025 for Innovation Phase I and II, and another is planned for January 2027 for Innovation Phase III.
How can I become part of the community?
Our innovation community is open to all individuals and organizations interested in advancing the topic of reusable packaging — whether already actively involved or simply interested in contributing. If you would like to join, please register as a member.
All information about the MEHRCE community at a glance:
Our MEHRCE Systems Map – What are the challenges for reusable packaging? Together with the community we visualized it in our Systems Map.
Website: Continuously updated information about the project, funding phases, and opportunities for involvement
LinkedIn channel of the Mehrweg Association: Regular updates about the MEHRCE community (use hashtag #MEHRCE)
Newsletter: Regular updates on events, application deadlines, and funding formats (automatic subscription upon joining the community)
Interested in scientific collaboration within MEHRCE? Students who would like to write their bachelor or master thesis as part of this project are very welcome. This offers the opportunity to work on practical research questions in collaboration with organizations from the community and gain valuable insights into current innovation and sustainability topics. Interested students are encouraged to bring their own ideas forward or co-develop suitable research topics with the team. If you are interested, please get in touch to discuss potential topics and supervision options.