RECUP, Vytal, reCIRCLE & Co. in comparison: Which reusable system is worthwhile for my restaurant?

Are you looking for the right provider for reusable containers? What are the advantages of deposit-free providers compared to classic deposit systems? Which products are offered and at what cost? And is it perhaps even worth having your own reusable system? We have everything here at a glance.

The importance of sustainable packaging solutions in the food service industry

The food service industry faces the challenge of finding sustainable packaging solutions to reduce its environmental impact. One effective way to achieve this is to use reusable containers. As the name suggests, these containers can be reused and help to avoid single-use packaging.

Ever since the introduction of mandatory reusable containers in the catering industry, every restaurant operator has looked at the alternatives to classic disposable packaging and has probably asked themselves: which reusable alternative is the right one for my restaurant? We explain and introduce you to the reusable systems of the various providers.

What are reusable containers for restaurants?

Reusable containers are reusable packaging that restaurants can use instead of disposable packaging. They are often made of robust materials such as plastic or stainless steel and can be cleaned and reused after use. These containers offer a sustainable alternative to single-use packaging and help to reduce packaging waste.

Why should restaurants use reusable containers?

Restaurants have several reasons why they should switch to reusable containers. Firstly, reusable containers help to reduce packaging waste and reduce environmental impact. Conventional disposable packaging is often thrown away after a single use and pollutes the environment through its production and disposal.

Secondly, restaurants can save costs by using reusable containers. Although the initial investment in reusable containers may be higher, it pays off in the long run as there is no need for constant reordering of disposable packaging.

In addition, more and more consumers are choosing restaurants that support environmentally friendly practices. By switching to reusable containers, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and appeal to potential customers.

We have compared sustainable restaurant concepts and summarized them for you in our magazine article. This way, you can not only focus on sustainability when choosing packaging, but also do something good for the environment when designing your dishes.

Which reusable system is the right one, deposit or non-deposit system?

How do returnable deposit systems work

With a deposit system, customers pay a certain amount for the packaging, which they get back when they return it. This is intended to create an incentive not to throw the packaging away, but to return it or pass it on to a collection partner. One example of a deposit system is reCIRCLE, which is active in Germany and Switzerland. ReCIRCLE offers restaurants reusable plastic trays that are microwave and dishwasher-safe. Customers pay a deposit of 10 euros per tray and can return them to any participating restaurant or a collection partner. Other notable providers with a deposit system are RECUP/REBOWL and Sykell.

Advantages of a deposit system:

• It motivates customers to return or pass on the packaging by offering them a financial benefit.
• It reduces packaging waste and saves resources.
• It can increase customer loyalty by promoting a common sustainability goal.
• By returning the reusable containers, your customers will always visit you twice.

Disadvantages of a deposit system:

• It requires a high investment in the purchase, cleaning and logistics of reusable packaging.
• It can lead to a high loss of packaging if customers do not return or pass it on.
• It can lead to higher costs for customers if they have to transport and store the packaging.

What are the costs of reCIRCLE?

ReCIRCLE costs you 13.5 cents per rental for a reusable container and 8 cents per rental for a reusable cup (both plus VAT). The box deposit for your customers is 10 € and the cup deposit is 5 €.

What are the costs for RECUP (REBOWL)?

With RECUP (REBOWL), the usage fee for your restaurant or café is 1 € per day, i.e. around 30 € per month plus the deposit for the respective products, 100% of which you pass on to your customers. Your customers pay a deposit of 5 € for REBOWLs and 1 € for RECUPs.

What are the costs with Sykell?

Sykell has a different usage fee depending on the service model. For cafés and restaurants that have their own dishwashing infrastructure, the Sykell Basic model is available, which costs from 7.90 € per month. Sykell costs a deposit of between 1 € and 2.50 € for your customers.

Which reusable containers and reusable cups does reCIRCLE offer?

The product portfolio of the deposit providers is very similar. ReCIRCLE offers several reCIRCLE boxes with a capacity of between 700ml and 1200ml and has reusable cups in the sizes 90ml, 300ml and 500ml. ReCIRCLE enables its partners to use reusable cutlery free of charge with the reusable containers and has developed a reusable box for pizza, which is already available for pre-order.

Which reusable containers and cups does RECUP (REBOWL) offer?

RECUP (REBOWL) has REBOWLs with a capacity of between 550ml and 1100ml and four different RECUP sizes from 0.2l to 0.5l capacity. Speaking of offering: RECUP (REBOWL) cooperates with Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt, so you can sell through the suppliers in RECUP (REBOWL) reusable containers! You can find out more about the sustainability of delivery services here.

Which reusable containers and reusable cups does Sykell offer?

Sykell offers reusable containers between 500ml and 1200ml and their reusable cups have a capacity between 200ml and 400ml.

How do "non-deposit systems" work?

With a "non-deposit system", your customers do not pay for the packaging, but borrow it. The packaging is either provided by your restaurant itself or by an external provider. If the customers return the packaging promptly without exceeding the time window set by the provider, the loan remains free of charge for the customers. As soon as the time window is exceeded, an amount is due and the customer purchases the packaging. One example of a "non-deposit system" is Vytal, which is active in Germany and Austria. Vytal offers restaurants reusable plastic trays that are microwave- and dishwasher-safe. Customers can register with Vytal free of charge and receive a QR code that they scan when purchasing a dish. They can return the tray to any participating restaurant or to a return machine. Vytal takes care of the cleaning and maintenance of the trays. Another provider with a "non-deposit system" is Relevo.

Advantages of a "non-deposit system":

• It lowers the barrier to entry for customers by not imposing any costs on them.
• It reduces packaging waste and saves resources.
• It can increase customer satisfaction by offering them more flexibility.
• Your customers will be tempted to come back a second time to return their reusable containers.

Disadvantages of a "non-deposit system":

• Your customers face an additional hurdle with an app
• It requires a high investment in the purchase, cleaning and logistics of reusable packaging
• It can lead to a lower return rate of packaging if customers keep or throw it away.
• It can lead to a higher risk of fraud or misuse if customers borrow or sell multiple trays.

What costs does Vytal incur?

You can pay for Vytal's reusable containers on a per-use or flat-rate basis and it costs you around 300 € per 500 uses. Your customers have no costs as long as they return the containers within 14 days. If your customers exceed the 14-day return period, they can extend this for 1 €. If this period also expires, your customers will be charged 10 € for a reusable bowl and 4 € for a reusable cup and they have purchased the bowl or cup and no longer have to return it. If your customers do want to return them, they will not get their money back, but a credit.

What are the costs with Relevo?

With Relevo, you get a 2-month flat rate when you buy a starter pack, which costs between 99 € and 499 € plus VAT, depending on the number of reusable containers included. For two months, you can borrow all the reusable containers you receive as often as you like. At the end of the two months, a reusable cup will cost you 12.5 cents per loan, a reusable bowl 25 cents per loan and a pizza box 30 cents per loan (all plus VAT). For your customers, the Relevo reusable containers can be borrowed free of charge as long as they are returned within 14 days. After that, your customers will be charged a "climate fee" of 5 € per reusable cup and 10 € per reusable bowl. Your customers then purchase the reusable cup or tray and no longer have to return it.

Which reusable containers and reusable cups do Vytal and Relevo offer?

The product portfolio of "non-deposit providers" is generally no different from that of deposit providers. Vytal and Relevo only stand out here because both offer a particularly wide range of products and, in addition to the standard reusable bowls and reusable cups made of BPA-free plastic, also offer sushi boxes, pizza containers, burger boxes and cutlery as reusable options. Vytal also offers white label businesses the opportunity to market their own solutions with their own principle.

Relevo also offers many reusable containers in a glass version and therefore has the largest product range of all providers.

Both Vytal and Relevo cooperate with well-known delivery services. Vytal is available for your customers via Lieferando and UberEats. Relevo also packs your food for delivery with Lieferando, UberEats and Wolt.

How does a reusable hybrid system work?

Hybrid systems work both with the deposit of a deposit determined by the provider and without a deposit, whereby customers must borrow the reusable containers free of charge and return them within a certain time window. Here, too, the reusable containers are purchased if customers exceed the return window. In a hybrid system, customers can decide for themselves which type of rental they prefer. The provider Tiffin Loop uses such a hybrid system.

Tiffin Loop is one of the few plastic-free providers of reusable packaging and, thanks to its hybrid system, is well suited to both spontaneous and app-averse customers as well as savvy savers who don't want to pay a deposit.

If your customers opt for the deposit system with the hybrid approach, they can use the so-called "Tiffin Card" as a deposit for a reusable container. No app or online registration is necessary for your customers.

With the deposit-free system from Tiffin Loop, registration in the app is required, as with Vytal and Relevo, and the reusable containers are registered via QR code scan in the rental shop. After borrowing, your customers have 14 days to return the Tiffin Loop reusable containers free of charge. After the return period has expired, a fee will be charged.

What are the costs for Tiffin Loop?

There is no basic fee for Tiffin Loop. You only pay for the reusable containers per rental. At Tiffin Loop, a reusable cup costs 15 cents per loan plus VAT and a reusable container costs 25 cents per loan plus VAT.

For your customers, Tiffin Loop charges a deposit of 20 € for the Tiffin Card, which is returned to you in return for a reusable container. If your customers use Tiffin Loop's deposit-free system, the rental remains free of charge as long as they return the reusable containers within the 14-day return period. After the deadline, your customers will be charged 20 €.

The comparatively high amount of money of 20 € as a deposit or as an amount to be paid after the return period expires makes Tiffin Loop the most expensive provider for your customers, but the incentive to return the reusable containers is also very high, which means that the reusable containers are very likely to remain in circulation.

Which reusable containers and reusable cups does Tiffin Loop offer?

Tiffin Loop has a comparatively small product portfolio. However, if you only need the basics and are looking for good quality, you could find what you are looking for at Tiffin Loop. Unlike other suppliers, Tiffin Loop's reusable containers are plastic-free and made from robust stainless steel.

The Tiffin Bowl with matching lid is stackable, has a practical handle and a capacity of 1200 ml.

The Tiffin Cup is double-walled and therefore has an insulating effect. Its standardized size is suitable for all conventional to-go lids and it holds 350ml.

Tiffin Loop also has the Tiffin Bag, which allows up to five Tiffin Bowls to be stacked for transportation.

Reusable containers from your own restaurant

With so many suppliers pursuing similar or identical concepts, you could come up with the idea of simply adopting one of the concepts yourself and creating reusable containers for your own restaurant. The simplest and most cost-effective system for you would be the deposit system. The costs for developing and programming an app for a deposit-free system are significantly higher.

The advantages are that you can choose the material and size of your reusable containers yourself. In addition, with your own reusable system, your customers can only return your reusable containers to you and are therefore very likely to return them to you a second time. The ongoing costs to a company that provides you with the reusable containers are eliminated. If your customers are mainly returning, reliable regular customers, your own reusable system may be the best solution for you.

In addition, you have one-off acquisition costs, which can range from low to high depending on the material, size and quantity of your desired containers.

The fact that you are the only point of contact for returns could be a disadvantage if you have many customers who do not live in your city and cannot easily return your reusable containers. For example, cities with a high proportion of tourists or locations at train stations or landmarks would not be so well suited for their own reusable system.

Our conclusion: Which reusable system is the best?

All reusable systems are good alternatives for producing less waste. Which system is best for your restaurant depends on your customers and your preferences.

The deposit systems from reCIRCLE, RECUP (REBOWL) and Sykell are good for restaurants and cafés that have fast-moving customers who are on the go and just want to grab a quick sustainable to-go drink. If your restaurant or café is in a location with a lot of footfall, the deposit system is definitely a good option.

If your customers are thrifty and you have dishes on the menu that require special packaging, such as pizza, sushi or burgers, then the Vytal or Relevo deposit-free systems are a good choice. Thanks to their particularly large product portfolio, anyone with special packaging requirements will find what they are looking for and your customers can borrow the packaging completely free of charge.

If you and your customers attach great importance to particularly sustainable, preferably plastic-free materials for reusable containers and simple containers are perfectly adequate, the hybrid system Tiffin Loop is the most suitable provider for you.

If none of the providers mentioned meet your requirements and your restaurant or café is limited to a local area and reliable regular customers, it is worth considering your own reusable system. You can choose the reusable containers according to your preferences and price expectations and are completely free when it comes to the cost for your customers.

Photos: RECUP, Vytal, Relevo