That was the practice not so long ago in the US too. But it is complex. Reusables were thicker and heavier than modern bottles, not just the super light high life bottle, but almost every bottle, I believe, and cans are so light in comparison.

It's true, but where/how it survived in Europe seems like it's a regionally or even city localized bottle re-use cycle which might shift the balance of costs and re-use.

Re-Use is the way to go, I generally check in at the re-use centre in our town, the scrap yard and the local auction sites before buying anything new.

Its a shame everything electronic is basically landfill due to either lack of circuit diagrams and parts or software that no longer works.. Ditto for new cars :-(