Reusable To-Go Initiative Launches Pilot Market for Food Reusable Systems

The Reusable To-Go (RTG) initiative aims to test the uncomplicated return of food reusable systems in Germany with a pilot market. The pilot market is set to be established in early 2023 in an urban center in the Rhine-Main area, with the goal of networking the distribution and return points to consolidate the existing regional offerings for logistics and cleaning of reusable dishes on a data platform through a marketplace. This initiative responds to the mandatory requirement for reusable offerings ¹⁾ for the to-go business, which comes into effect nationwide on January 1, 2023.

(Köln) The pilot market will also test the assurance of deposit clearing, digital deposit management for end consumers, management of master data, and management of serialized containers. Additionally, the development and testing of a set of rules for handling (logistics, cleaning, food safety) will be created in collaboration with all participants and stakeholders. Initial participants from the fields of providers, IT, logistics, e-mobility for the last mile, and cleaning have already confirmed their participation in the pilot market next year. Other interested participants from these areas are invited to contribute.

Digital Elements for Support

In addition to the pilot market, digital elements for end consumer activation will be tested in a further step to increase the usage rates of reusable containers. Digital customer loyalty programs, sweepstakes, and other forms of incentives will be employed. A provider of dynamic web applications is a partner in this area.

The Reusable To-Go initiative aims to create the basic prerequisites for a user-friendly and system-independent return of food reusable systems nationally and internationally for all distribution points. By providing the organizational, regulatory, and food law framework through a centralized data infrastructure organized under the leadership of the IT consulting firm CONET, with standardized data flows for all participants and service providers of reusable systems for the simplified and convenient return of reusable items, the initiative aims to significantly contribute to increasing the reusable quota. “We should learn from the experiences with the introduction of the mandatory deposit for single-use beverage containers in 2003. The island solutions introduced at that time were corrected too late and with serious consequences for the reusable quota in the beverage sector in favor of an open return solution,” demands Günther Guder, managing director of the Pro Mehrweg Association.

Support from State Environmental Ministries

The advisory board of the initiative includes representatives from the national associations Pro Mehrweg, beverage wholesale, DEHOGA Federal Association, Working Group Reusable, as well as the initiators. There is close communication with other associations.

The initiative is also accompanied and politically supported by the two state environmental ministries in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as an independent university study commissioned by the ministries. Hesse has already advocated for “diverse and regional return options for reusable packaging in out-of-home catering” during the Consumer Protection Ministers’ Conference in June 2022, according to statements from Environment and Consumer Protection Minister Priska Hinz.

TÜV Rheinland is Involved

Furthermore, representatives from TÜV Rheinland, DIN, food hygiene, and consumer protection are involved.

 ^{1) Mandatory Requirement for Reusable Offerings:} https://mwu.sachsen-anhalt.de/umwelt/abfall/faq-mehrwegangebotspflicht/

Photo: © Reusable To-Go