Federal Bill Targets Retail Theft – And Finally Acknowledges Reusable Packaging Assets

A Significant Milestone For The Reusable Packaging Industry

This week marks a significant milestone for the reusable packaging industry: the introduction of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA) by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. This bipartisan bill not only aims to dismantle sophisticated theft rings impacting retailers and supply chains nationwide—it also, for the first time, explicitly recognizes reusable packaging assets as critical infrastructure worth protecting.

The bill proposes the creation of a federal “Center to Combat Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime” under Homeland Security Investigations. This center will coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement, foster public-private partnerships, track theft trends, and issue annual reports. But the most groundbreaking detail? Section 2, finding (5) of the bill, includes a direct reference to “operational assets in retail commerce such as reusable transport packaging products”—affirming that reusable plastic pallets, totes, bins, and containers are within the scope of federal protections.

This inclusion is no accident. The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), listed as an official supporter of the bill, has spent years working with legislators to ensure our industry’s concerns are heard. Asset theft remains one of the most universal—and costly—barriers to adoption and ROI for reusable packaging systems. From commercial bakery trays to dairy milk crates to pharmaceutical totes, asset disappearance through theft or misidentification undermines the economics and environmental promise of reusables.

And it’s a staggering problem. The dairy industry alone loses over $100 million per year in stolen crates. Automotive supply chains report $750 million in lost packaging. Up to 30% of some pooled assets vanish annually. In a circular economy, that kind of loss is not just operational—it’s systemic.

While tracking technologies like RFID offer some defense, the lack of permanent, tamper-proof identification remains a core vulnerability. Without a label that stays on the asset through washing, transport, and lifecycle reuse, there’s no traceability—and no deterrent.

That’s why the introduction of CORCA is a critical opportunity. It elevates the theft of reusable transport packaging from a private burden to a national concern. It also reinforces what PolyfuzeID has long championed: the need for permanent identity fused directly into the surface of the plastic—not stuck on with adhesives that can peel, fade, or be removed.

As law enforcement, logistics providers, and retailers align to fight organized crime, durable asset identification will be essential. PolyfuzeID’s polymer fusion technology is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge, offering mono-material, recyclable, tamper-proof labeling that performs where adhesives fail.

The road to passing CORCA is just beginning. But its introduction—and the industry’s role in shaping it—signals that reusables are no longer niche. They’re essential infrastructure. And protecting them means labeling them right from the start.

Ready to stop the labeling issues? Visit or contact Polyfuze Graphics Corporation and discover how Polymer Fusion Labeling can transform your operations.