Relevo reusable return machine at Munich Viktualienmarkt for circular takeaway packaging

Environment Europe Foodservice Germany Hospitality & Horeca Industries Packaging

Duni and Relevo Turn Takeaway Reuse Into Market Infrastructure

Duni Group and Relevo are rolling out a reusable takeaway system at Munich’s Viktualienmarkt, using digital infrastructure, return machines and reusable cups and bowls to test circular foodservice packaging at urban scale.

The project, called “ReMuc – Ois im Kreis”, is being introduced at one of Germany’s most visible open-air food markets. Viktualienmarkt covers around 22,000 square metres, includes roughly 130 vendors and attracts more than five million visitors a year. That combination of density, foodservice variety and repeat footfall makes it a serious test bed rather than a small sustainability showcase.

Visitors can take away food and beverages in reusable cups and bowls, then return them at multiple points across the market. Dedicated machines are available around the clock and refund deposits automatically. According to the release, the infrastructure is designed to handle more than two million returns per year.

Reuse needs infrastructure, not only packaging

The important part of the project is not just the cup or bowl. It is the system around it. Reusable packaging only works commercially when ordering, tracking, return, cleaning and redistribution can operate with minimal friction for vendors and customers. Otherwise, reuse becomes an extra task rather than a normal part of takeaway foodservice.

Duni’s Relevo brand operates the digital platform and return machines behind the initiative. RECUP provides the reusable cups and bowls, while local logistics and professional cleaning support circulation within the city. That division of labour matters because circular packaging is rarely solved by one supplier. It needs coordination between packaging, software, logistics, cleaning and foodservice operators.

For vendors, the key question is operational simplicity. A market trader cannot afford a sustainability system that slows service, confuses customers or creates back-of-house clutter. For consumers, the return step has to be obvious and convenient. The 24/7 deposit machines are therefore not a decorative detail; they are the infrastructure that keeps the loop moving after stalls close.

The same theme appeared in Xtra Food Magazine’s recent coverage of QSR packaging workflow and foodservice bulk-pack recognition. Packaging decisions increasingly have to fit the workflow, not just the brand message.

A model for high-footfall locations

Duni and Relevo say the Munich project is planned to run for five years and is intended as a model for other urban locations where people consume food and drink on the go. That includes markets, public spaces and transport hubs. Those are precisely the environments where single-use packaging volumes are high and return behaviour is difficult to organise.

The market setting is commercially useful because it includes many independent vendors rather than one closed foodservice operator. If the system can coordinate multiple sellers, shared return points and central cleaning, it becomes more relevant to city authorities, landlords and destination managers looking for scalable waste reduction without forcing each vendor to build their own scheme.

There is also a category-management angle. Reuse systems can change which packaging formats are viable for hot food, cold drinks and mixed menus. They may affect deposit pricing, customer loyalty, queue design and the way vendors explain takeaway options at the point of sale. The better the platform, the less each trader has to improvise.

Commercial checklist

Measure return convenience before judging whether consumers will accept reusable takeaway packaging.
Define who owns each step: packaging supply, deposit handling, return infrastructure, washing, logistics and loss management.
Test vendor workflows during peak service, not only during quieter launch periods.
Track container loss, return frequency, cleaning turnaround and the number of cycles per item.
For city markets and transport hubs, assess whether shared infrastructure can serve multiple independent operators fairly.

The Viktualienmarkt rollout shows where reusable foodservice packaging is heading: away from one-off pilots and towards managed systems. If the economics hold, the model could give urban food destinations a practical route to reduce single-use waste without making takeaway service feel more complicated.