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Nominated for OUT OF THE BOX.NRW
Vytal
Köln
Nominated by:
Florestan Peters
Internet address:
Your business model in three sentences
Vytal provides the tech platform for the reuse economy offering a highly efficient circular system that eliminates single-use packaging by making the use of reusable containers convenient and cheap. Borrow reusables for free with the Vytal App.
What problem do you solve?
Single-use food packaging is a global problem and a huge waste of resources. It is a symbol for the linear economy and throw-away culture. A single-use plastic container able to last for hundreds of years is only used for <90 minutes before being tossed into trash and most likely burnt. Such a container not weighing more than 30 grams can easily come with an ecological backpack of 8+ kilograms of resources consumed during its production based on material intensity data from the Wuppertal Institut for Climate, Environment and Energy. In Germany alone, 520,000 to-go food containers are wasted every hour. This needs to change - in Germany and beyond!
What's your digital solution?
Vytal provides the tech platform for the reuse economy to eliminate single-use packaging waste. Starting with delivery food and to-go consumption Vytal offers restaurants, canteens and supermarkets easy-to-use high quality reusable packaging at a pay-per-use price below the prices of disposables. Consumers use the Vytal App or an offline card to borrow containers for free and conveniently return them at thousands of locations or with delivery services. With a return rate above 99% and an average return time below 5 days Vytal is more efficient than the German bottle deposit system. It has already replaced >5.5 million disposables and is growing strongly.
Why should we award you for your digital business model?
Vytal transfers the idea of the German deposit system into the digital age, while making it more accessible and efficient. Deposits act as barriers to reusables and provide a limited motivation for quick returns. Digitally-enabled and data-driven reusable packaging solutions are key to transition to a circular economy. With the prize, Vytal aims to increase adoption and further scale its tech platform from NRW to the world helping reuse become the standard for takeout food in Germany and beyond.