After registering, you will find your delivery token for orders via third-party providers (Lieferando and Wolt) and the buttons for borrowing and returning your Vytals under the banner in the Vytal app. If you click on the lower middle button, you will also have the option to borrow or return your Vytals, or even show your own QR code. You can use these options to borrow our reusable containers free of charge for 14 days at participating Partners . The restaurateurs will scan the QR code on the Vytals and the one in your app to link you together. Meanwhile, you can also scan the Vytals yourself and show the confirmation on site. For delivery orders, the restaurateurs usually scan the Vytals themselves. When the container is returned, only the QR code on the container is scanned in order to charge it back to you. This means that colleagues, friends and acquaintances can also return your Vytals for you.
The Vytal system is completely free of charge for customers. We are financed by the caterers who pay a small fee per filling of our Vytals. Nevertheless, they save money because the cost of disposable packaging is usually higher than our filling fee. In addition, if a Vytal is not returned to our Partners within the 14-day return period, customers are automatically charged 10 euros per bowl and 4 euros per cup.
The means of payment serve on the one hand as security, since we issue the Vytals without a deposit, and on the other hand as a method of payment in case you want to use our pre-order or delivery function.
In the Vytal app you will see our Partners near you. When ordering, please say that you would like to have your food or drink in Vytal. When you place your order, either the QR code on the Vytal and the one in your app will be scanned by the partner restaurant, or you scan the Vytal itself. When you order through the Vytal app, your personal code is automatically sent to our Partners so they can already book the Vytals to your account. For orders placed with Vytal Partners via delivery services, you need to copy your delivery token into the comment field.
In principle, our Vytals are not available for purchase via our app, as our system is only sustainable if the Vytals end up back in circulation as quickly as possible. However, if Vytals are not returned within the 14-day free loan period, 10 euros per bowl and 4 euros per cup will automatically be debited from your deposited payment method. The Vytal is then yours and can be used privately. A refill is no longer possible, otherwise it would become our property again.
You can select on the map in the Vytal app Partners and see which bins they accept. Then just drop by, return Vytals and you're done. Only the QR code on the bin is needed for drop-off, not your personal QR code.
Please rinse your Vytals before you put them back into circulation. This will save your favorite restaurant a lot of work. Of course, all Partners rinse the vytals in their industrial dishwashers before handing them out, so that they are always hygienically clean when you check them out.
Using Vytal without an app is possible with our offline card. The offline card is a membership card that you can buy for a one-time fee of 10 Euros at our Partners . With it you can use the system completely anonymously and without the 14-day return period. The offline card is an analog version of the app and therefore can not map all app features. Since we issue the Vytals without a deposit, the offline card can only be used to borrow two Vytals at a time. When you return them, the card is unblocked and you can borrow the next two Vytals. If no partner restaurant near you has offline cards, you are also welcome to order one at hallo@vytal.org. Please note: The offline card is a purchase card, so redemption is excluded. The ten euros serve as security (like the deposited means of payment in the app). If you do want to switch to the app, the card can be linked to the app. In this process, a credit in the form of ten Vytal credits is credited to your account.
With your Vytal delivery token, you can have your food conveniently delivered from Vytal-Partners , whether you order through their own website or through third-party portals (Lieferando, Wolt). Just copy your delivery token and paste it into the comment field at the end of the order. The restaurant can then link the container to your account and give it to the driver. You can find the delivery token in the app by clicking on the middle button at the bottom and then on "Deliver". For privacy and security reasons, the delivery token is only valid for six days.
You have 14 days to return our Vytal to one of our Partners . You can also extend the return period by one week for one euro, if the period is not enough for you.
You will see in the Vytal app how many more days you can rent the Vytals for free. We will also remind you via email and push notifications when you return your Vytals, if you have allowed us to send you these notifications. You can find them in the app under "Profile" (bottom right button) and "Settings".
At the end of the 14-day free return period, 10 Euros for Vytal Bowls and 4 Euros for Vytal Mugs will automatically be debited from your deposited payment method. You have then purchased the Vytals and can use them privately. However, you can also return purchased containers at any time to our Partners and receive half of the purchase price in the form of Vytal Credits for the return. You can use these credits for pick-up pre-orders via the Vytal App at some of our Partners or for the extension of return periods.
One Vytal Credit has the value of one Euro. Your Vytal Credit balance is displayed in your profile in the app. You will receive five or two Vytal Credits when you return a purchased bowl or cup to one of our Partners stores. If you link an offline card to the app, you will be credited with ten Vytal Credits. The credits can be redeemed for pick-up pre-order of food at our Partners via the Vytal app or to extend return deadlines.
If you go to "Profile" in the app (the icon at the bottom right) and then to "My Profile", there is an item called "Delete Account". Please note that a deletion cannot be undone.
You can suggest your favourite restaurants via this link and at the same time download a "love letter" that you can pass on to the restaurant: https://en.vytal.org/vytal-fuer-konsumenten
Our Vytals are all dishwasher safe, they can be washed in any standard household dishwasher and also in industrial dishwashers at very high temperatures. In addition, all Vytals are suitable for heating in the microwave, whereas the lid must NOT be placed in the microwave, as pressure can build up underneath due to heating.
Our Partners are contractually obliged to machine wash all vytals before serving so that they are hygienically clean. The same rules apply as when washing the dishes for consumption in the restaurant.
When you can no longer use a Vytal reusable container, we take it back to recycle it in a controlled way. To do this, our containers are crushed and melted down to form other products. In this way, our system remains circular and we completely avoid the creation of waste. Due to current legislation, new food containers cannot yet be made from them. We are in discussion with processing companies and will close the loop as soon as the legal situation changes.
A Vytal container can be reused up to 200 times if used properly. The most important factor is not rinsing, but how the customer treats the container. We therefore ask our customers not to cut into the containers with a knife in order to ensure the longest possible usability and thus a lot of saved disposable packaging waste. From ten fillings, they are more environmentally friendly than disposable packaging and save up to 30 kg of CO2 over the life cycle compared to disposable packaging made of Styrofoam or aluminum.
At many of our Partners you can pre-order and pay via the app, so that you can pick up your food at the desired time without waiting on site or have it conveniently delivered to your home. Not all Vytal-Partners offer this service via our app. Partners that accept pre-orders are marked in the app with "Pickup" and "Delivery". You can also order in our reusable packages through delivery services. For this, you will be redirected to these third party providers within the app and just need to copy your delivery token into the comment field.
If the restaurant you ordered from has its own delivery service, you can easily give the containers to the delivery drivers. If you have ordered through a third party delivery service, this is unfortunately not possible, as the drivers do not necessarily drive back to a Vytal partner, where your Vytals can be booked out again.
To make a change to your order via the Vytal app, you can easily cancel it within the cancellation period in the app and place it again. If you have a special request, you can leave a message for the restaurant in the comments field.
We looked for suitable materials and manufacturers for a long time and then decided on polypropylene, a very high-quality plastic that is particularly easy to recycle. In addition, our bowls are more ecological than stainless steel containers and can be used in the freezer and microwave (without lid).
KoziolBowls (500, 750 and 1250 ml)
Madeof BPA-free polypropylene, lid made of thermoplastic elastomer. Made in Germany.
MepalBowls (500, 750 and 1250 ml - some still in circulation)
Madeof BPA-free polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomer lid. Made in Holland.
SplitBowl & Coffee Mug (100, 200, 300 and 400 ml)
Made of BPA-free polypropylene. Made in Czech Republic.
500ml cold beverage mug
Madeof BPA-free polypropylene. Made in Germany.
Burger& Pizza Container
Madeof BPA-free polypropylene. Made in Germany.
Sushicontainer
Madeof stainless steel (75% recycled materials) and Tritan plastic. Made in China.
Vytals with damaged or missing QR code can be returned to our Partners as usual. However, please send us an email so that we know where you returned the Vytal, and we will manually unbook it. The restaurant then only has to return the Vytal to us so that it gets a new QR code.
If the bowl or cup is completely broken, then you don't need to do anything else - the money will be automatically collected from the payment method you deposited after the loan period expires. If only the lid or the bottom part is broken, please return the bowl to one of our Partners and then write us an email with a photo of the damaged Vytal and the info where you dropped it off. Then we will refund half of the purchase amount.
In the beginning, we came up with the names ourselves or used well-known personalities and movie heroes or place names. In the meantime, however, we need so many names that we use a database with international first names.
Please report leaking bowls directly to our Partners. They can then sort out the bowls and send them back to us.
Our customer app requires at least iOS 12.4 or Android 6.0, but preferably always the latest versions.
No, the Vytal Partner App is a stand-alone system that you can easily download from the Google Play Store / Apple Store. All you need is a cell phone or tablet with Internet access and your personal access data, which you will receive from us after signing the contract.
Customers can independently scan the QR code of the Vytals in the app and must show the confirmation at the checkout. The control is important to exclude cases of fraud.
Here you will find an overview with the weight and size of our different reusable containers. Our bowls can be stacked neatly on top of each other with lids or without lids to save space.
The Vytal reusable bowls and their lids can be cleaned very well in gastro and industrial dishwashers. For optimal cleaning results, it is important to place the bowls with the opening facing down. The lids are best either laid flat with the closure facing down and weighted down, or rinsed on end, as with plates, for example. If you don't have any rinsing facilities on site, we can offer you a rinsing service for a fee on request.
Each Vytal reusable container is marked with a QR code and can therefore be clearly assigned. This allows us to guarantee a cashless reusable packaging system between the participating system partners and the customers. Issue and return numbers, return deadlines and container cycles are thus digitally stored and verifiable. Each time a container is issued, it is scanned together with the user's individual QR code to link the customer and container in our system. Meanwhile, customers can also scan the Vytals themselves using the self-scan function. When the container is returned, only the container is scanned to record that it has been properly returned. In the customer app, you can always see transparently which container you have already borrowed and for how long, and how much packaging you have already saved.
Here you will find an overview with the weight and size of our different reusable containers. How you set the tare depends on the scale you use.
You can find an overview of our product range here: https://www.vytal.org/vytal-unsere-behalter-flotte
We explicitly advocate an open reusable packaging system for all. A circular system is most convenient for customers and allows anyone to get and return Vytal reusable containers anywhere - hence no logos. However, for large companies or closed systems, such as canteens, we offer a white label solution.
Vytals with damaged or missing QR code can be returned normally. However, please write us an email and tell us the name of the bowl. If this is no longer visible because the complete sticker is missing, the customer should contact us directly. The bowl can be returned to us at a pickup, then it will be given a new QR code.
You can reorder Vytals in the app via "Statistics" and "Order container", but of course you can also contact our partner service via hotline, mail or Whatsapp. To order a pickup is currently only possible via the partner service. Please indicate the quantity for Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, DΓΌsseldorf and Munich, so that we know how much space our drivers have to plan for. All other pickups are done via dpd - for this we would need the number of shipping boxes you pack the Vytals in and the preferred pickup day. Please note that for the sake of the environment, we will only have packages with a minimum content of 10 Vytals collected. There is a three business day turnaround time for both pickups and returns.
Log in with the access data for the partner app via our web login: https://partner.vytal.org/Account/Login - there you can change opening hours and other important information. Please also indicate here if your store is closed for a longer period of time.
In the Partner App under "Statistics" you can see how many Vytals are currently in your inventory. If this number differs from the actual stock, we offer a digital inventory function. For this, all containers must be scanned once on site and the deviations are shown. For a detailed description of the inventory, please contact your contact person or our partner service.
After you have expressed interest and signed the contract, our onboarding process starts. Here you will receive your initial equipment of containers and a training as well as training and advertising material. A follow-up training is also possible at any time and in case of questions or problems you can contact our partner service.
For some time now, we have also been offering serving and return vending machines. For the dispensers, we only provide the containers and not the food. The take-back machines or boxes are particularly suitable for canteens or offices to simplify the return process. These can then be emptied once a day and scanned all at once.
A cell phone with our partner app is required for scanning the Vytals. A private device (tablets are also possible) can be used for this or a device can be provided by us for a fee. A connection to various cash register systems (Kamasys, Ventopay) is also possible.
Leaky bowls can be returned to us with a note (Post-It or other), as you cannot always tell that bowls are leaking. We will then either assign new lids/bottoms to them or recycle them.
Our Partners app requires at least iOS 12.4 or Android 6.0, but preferably always the latest versions.
The possibility of restriction exists if due to security regulations in your company no foreign public has access to your catering facility. We can make it visible in the Vytal app for all Users that your company is only available for employees. Here you will then see the note: "Employees Only". Your employees can still return their Vytals to any participating store in their area.
For returns outside business hours, we have created a solution in the form of our Vytal return boxes. You can place them freely accessible on the premises, so that the Vytals can also be returned outside business hours. All your staff has to do is scan the QR codes on the next business day to complete the return process. Alternatively, we also offer a digital return vending machine, which performs the scanning process independently and books the borrowed Vytals back to the customer in the app.
We offer interfaces to various cash register systems (Kamasys, Ventopay) that enable integration.
We offer a so-called white label solution. Here you can purchase QR codes generated by us, which you attach to your own containers or containers purchased from us and provided with a logo. The booking processes are then mapped via the Vytal app.
The mandatory reusability is a law enacted by the German government from January 1, 2023. It obliges caterers, depending on the size and number of employees in the establishment, to offer an additional reusable solution for food and beverages that may not cost more than the single-use alternative.
The law stipulates that a reusable variant must not be more expensive than the same product in disposable packaging. It is therefore not sufficient if you offer reusable packaging for sale.
Restaurants, bistros, cafΓ©s and delivery services that sell take-away food or to-go drinks will be obliged to offer their products in reusable packaging from 2023.Smaller stores (snack bars, late-night stores and kiosks) with a total of five employees or fewer and a store area of less than 80 square meters are exempt from the obligation. However, even these businesses must allow their customers to fill their own reusable containers, which they bring with them. Chains cannot make use of the exception for small businesses, even if the sales area of the individual outlets is less than 80 square meters. Since more than five employees work in the entire company, the exception does not apply to them.
Then you are only obligated to fill the containers that your customers bring with them. You don't have to join reusable packaging system , but you can still do it to promote environmental protection and attract new customers. You will find out later how this works with Vytal.
Then you are obligated to offer consumers a reusable solution for your food and beverages in addition to the existing disposable options.
According to the law on mandatory reuse, companies that meet these criteria must offer one of the following two options:
π You can buy plastic or glass containers and lend them to customers
π You can work with a provider like Vytal to offer customers an effective and cost-efficient reusable solution
You are required to offer professionally cleaned containers, even if they are returned dirty by your customers. However, this should not discourage you from using reusable containers, because a rinsed reusable container is just as hygienic as a plate that your guests would receive in a restaurant.It is important that reusable containers are dishwasher safe and can be cleaned at high temperatures.
If you do not comply with the Packaging Act, this represents a competitive advantage over competitors in the same market, because disposable packaging is often offered at a lower price and less costs and effort are incurred because no additional reusable option has to be introduced.In order to enable fair competition, compliance with the Reusable Packaging Act is therefore clearly monitored and violations are prosecuted under both administrative and civil law and, according to Section 36 of the Packaging Act, punished with fines of up to 100,000 euros. The authorities of the respective federal states are responsible for checking whether the Reusable Packaging Act is being complied with by restaurateurs and can intervene with the appropriate measures in the event of violations.
We have introduced the sustainable container stock so that our Vytals are used regularly. This is the only way we can have a sustainable impact on the environment and conserve resources. π±π
We check the number of your transactions in the last three months and calculate your sustainable container stock. In summary: The more Vytals you spend, the more bins you get to keep on site for free.
If you have more bins on site than the sustainable bin inventory allows, you have two options:
1) You send it back to us free of charge.
2) If you would like to retain more Vytals, we will charge you a small monthly fee for each Vytal that exceeds the sustainable bin inventory.
Each unused bin in excess of the sustainable bin inventory will cost 50ct per month. The fee is charged from a total value of 5β¬. So if you have up to 10 excess vytals, you won't be charged.
If you notice that the sustainable container stock is not enough for you in the current month, you can order new containers promptly via the partner app ("Statistics" β "Order more containers"). They will be delivered to you within 2-3 business days.
A monthly newsletter will inform you about your sustainable container stock and how many Vytals you should return to us in order not to pay a fee. However, you must keep a minimum quantity of 20 Vytals.
You can return your Vytals directly via the partner app. Simply go to the app, select "Return container" in the menu and determine how many Vytals you want to return - done! We will cover the shipping costs from a quantity of 10 containers.
After receiving the monthly newsletter, you have until the end of the current calendar month to request your return via the Partner App. If this is not done, we will charge you the applicable fee.
If your inventory does not match the quantity stated in the monthly newsletter, please contact our partner service.
If you are one of the Partners, who take back twice as many containers as they give out, you are excluded from the fee.
We are always happy to receive questions and suggestions. Write to us at hallo@vytal.org