A reuse system for bottles - trip rate calculations under model replacement

The back to market trip rate is a key performance indicator of a bottle reuse system. In this study we investigate the impact of model replacement on the trip rate, incorporating also other loss mechanisms: incomplete deposit, damage or pollution, and scuffing. We find that for representative market parameter values, the overall trip rate is significantly reduced from introducing the scuffing and model replacement components into a system originally comprising the deposit and damage loss processes only, with figures in the range 36% - 57% for PET bottles, and 32% - 64% for glass bottles. The effect increases for shorter model design lifetimes.