The solution
Here’s how it works:
- You order food from a Vytal partner and ask for a reusable container.
- The staff scans your app, and the container’s unique QR code.
- You take it home (no deposit, no added cost).
- You return it to any Vytal partner within 14 days.
- Done.
If you forget to return it, your card is charged a replacement fee (~€10).
But with return rates over 99%, most people don’t.
On the business side, it’s “packaging-as-a-service”:
- Restaurants pay a small fee per container use, usually less than they’d spend on disposables.
- Vytal supplies the containers, manages tracking and logistics, and integrates directly with their POS and delivery platforms.
They didn't invent anything new.
They just got creative enough to change the system:
✅ No deposits
✅ No upfront cost for users
✅ Reusable packaging available city-wide (not just one location)
✅ Gamified app with personal impact stats
✅ Events, festivals, and big food chains using the same system
What I love about this model
It’s not just a clever business, it’s a full systems rethink.
They've identified a systemic problem and built the network to suit.
And the network effects are real:
- The more drop-off points exist, the easier reuse becomes
- The easier reuse becomes, the more people adopt it
- The more people adopt it, the more attractive it is for partners
They turned a sustainability challenge into a platform flywheel.
But that's easy to say once a platform is already big.
How did they get here?
The strategies
Here are three strategies they used (among many) that I love because they are approachable for anyone to adopt.
Remove friction
Traditional reusable systems often rely on deposits, instant dealbreaker.
Unfortunately, most users care until it costs them.
Even if you get your deposit back when you return it, you've already lost at the first user interaction.
So Vytal removed deposits entirely.
No upfront cost. No account top-ups. Just scan and go.
It’s easier for users, more scalable for businesses, and creates a better experience all around.
How Vytal approached it:
- No Deposits: Users can borrow containers without any upfront payment, removing the first barrier.
- Digital Tracking: Users scan a unique QR code when borrowing and returning containers for a seamless experience.
- Incentivized Returns: Users pay a fee for containers they keep more than 14 days, which isn't a problem with so many partner locations (over 99% return rate).
The lesson here: if you want mass (or fast) adoption, remove anything that slows people down. Period.
Strategic franchising
Instead of entering every country themselves, Vytal licensed their model.
Now, entrepreneurs in places like Norway, Mexico, and South Africa are running local versions using Vytal’s platform and containers.
Vytal provides the tech, branding, and support, while local teams build the relationships and do the ground work.
Expanding into new markets requires local knowledge, relationships, and cultural understanding.
Franchising allows for expansion while leveraging the strengths of local entrepreneurs.
How Vytal approached it:
- Founder Support: Vytal provides access to their technology and operational playbooks, ensuring consistency across markets.
- Local Autonomy: Franchisees have the freedom to adapt strategies to fit their local context.
- Community Building: Regular meetings and a support network among franchisees foster knowledge sharing and collective growth.
I love this strategy because I've been seeing it over and over again in the impact space.
Most impact entrepreneurs find value in small, intimate groups, communities, and networks.
With this strategy, you can scale without compromising those values.
Leverage data
Every piece of data that tells the story of the impact you're creating matters.
This story reinforces the value you create, builds momentum in the system, and creates feedback loops to improve impact over time.
How Vytal approached it:
- Impact Tracking: The Vytal app shows the amount of containers you've saved, fostering a sense of accomplishment.
- Partner Dashboards: Businesses get impact dashboards, helping their sustainability reporting and marketing.
- Feedback Loops: More (clean) data equals a continuously improving system.
Implementing systems that show clear, actionable data can help you build trust and continue to strengthen your relationship to the most important stakeholder, your customer.
Vytal has taken a complex issue and built a network that is dead simple to use, but that's not to say this is easy.
Often behind the most simple experiences lie incredibly complex systems.
But if you can solve a complex issue locally, Vytal is living (and thriving) proof that you can scale it globally.
