Reusable systems for packaging and cups are intended to offer a sustainable alternative to single-use products. But not every concept can establish itself on the Swiss market. What does it take for sustainable solutions to work in the long term?
You’re out and about, buying a coffee – and when you’re done, the cup ends up in the trash. The Zurich start-up Kooky had declared war on exactly these disposable coffee cups. But now it’s over: Kooky is discontinuing its reusable system for coffee cups and leaving the Swiss market. The future of the company is uncertain.
Kooky isn’t the only company in the reusable sector, but it raises the question: What does it take to make a reusable tableware system work? Jeanette Morath is the founder and CEO of Recircle. The company offers reusable packaging for the catering industry. Your recipe for success: “As simple as possible.”
Switzerland is not yet a very digital country, and Kooky probably underestimated that. “With Kooky you had to register in an app, scan the cup and put it in a specific container to get the deposit back,” says Morath. Recircle, on the other hand, relies on a simpler system: “We work with a depot system and returns in as many places as possible, directly through people. It has to be as simple as possible.”
Decline in interest?
Reusables have been a big topic in recent years, including in politics. From 2023, a reusable requirement for major events has been imposed in many places. But it felt like the topic was quieter. Jeannette Morath also experiences this.
2019 was her strongest year. Then came Corona, followed by wars, inflation, electricity price increases and a lack of staff in the catering industry. Many restaurants had to close. Environmental issues took a back seat, “survival was the focus,” explains Morath.
But Morath sees a trend reversal: “Fortunately, the wind is now turning slowly again. We are again having more discussions with larger partners such as restaurant chains. The reusable industry is also organizing itself.” There is the newly founded New European Reuse Alliance. There should also soon be a reusable bandage in Switzerland. A new packaging law is being developed in the EU.
«With Recircle we are expanding into Europe. We are already in Germany with 250 restaurants and are now focusing on France and Belgium,” says Morath.
Challenges remain
Despite progress, the reusable industry is not without challenges. In Bern, for example, the government council wants to relax the reusable requirement at major events. Morath doesn’t fully understand this development: “The reusable system works great in the city of Bern. I think this is because the packaging industry lobby is very strong and the fear of change is great. But the circular economy is coming.” After all, our resources are limited.