Climate Rising Scaling Reuse with Vytal: A Circular Economy Conversation with CEO Fabian Barthel
Apr 23, 2025
Fabian Barthel, Co-founder and CEO of Vytal, is on a mission to revolutionize the packaging industry with his startup focused on reusable containers. He explores how behavioral science and innovative business models can change consumer habits around take-out food. Fabian discusses the shortcomings of deposit systems and emphasizes the transformative potential of Vytal's 'borrow and return' strategy. He also addresses challenges in scaling sustainable practices internationally and offers advice to entrepreneurs on integrating profitability with environmental impact.
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Balancing Inventory Incentives
- Pay-per-use caused restaurants to overstock containers to avoid shortages. - Vytal introduced a non-usage monthly fee, encouraging efficient inventory and container return.
Typical Partners and Impact
- Vytal primarily partners with small to medium takeout restaurants and canteens in Germany. - Corporations like Evonik report saving hundreds of thousands of single-use packages through their reusable partnerships.
Analytics Backbone of Operations
- Vytal uses detailed container tracking for operational efficiency, like forecasting stock and rebalancing network flows. - Analytics focus mainly on asset management rather than customer revenue generation.