PACKAGING, DISPOSABLES & RECYCLING New reuse initiative cuts single-use waste at high-traffic food destination


Duni Group, via its brand Relevo, operates the digital infrastructure and return machines that power the circular system. The platform connects vendors, return infrastructure and service partners across the market, enabling seamless ordering, tracking, return and cleaning of reusable packaging. By coordinating all stakeholders, Relevo enables efficient and scalable circular operations while ensuring a smooth and intuitive user experience — and supporting increased reuse through more frequent return cycles. “Making reuse part of everyday life requires solutions that are both convenient and scalable. With Relevo’s platform, we enable a system that works across multiple vendors and touchpoints — making circularity accessible in a natural way for both consumers and businesses,” says Nicklas Lauwell, chief officer, food packaging solutions, Duni Group.


A scalable solution to reduce single-use waste in urban food environments is now being introduced at Munich’s Viktualienmarkt. Building on Duni Group’s earlier announcement of the initiative, the circular reuse system is being rolled out across the market in collaboration with local partners. Duni Group, via its brand Relevo, is part of the circular initiative


“ReMuc – Ois im Kreis”, launching a large-scale reuse system at Viktualienmarkt in Munich — Germany’s largest open-air market. Spanning approximately 22,000 square metres, with around 130 vendors and more than five million visitors annually, the market provides a high-frequency environment where circular solutions can be implemented at scale. The system enables visitors to take away food and beverages


in reusable cups and bowls, which can be returned at multiple locations throughout the market. Returns are available 24/7 via dedicated machines, that refund deposits automatically. The infrastructure is designed to handle more than two million returns per year, demonstrating how reuse can be integrated into everyday urban routines without adding complexity for consumers or vendors.


Duni Group’s digital infrastructure, operated via its brand Relevo, forms the backbone of the initiative, which is developed together with several partners. RECUP provides the reusable cups and bowls, while return machines are installed across the market to ensure easy and continuous access. The system is further supported by local logistics and professional cleaning to enable efficient circulation within the city. “Viktualienmarkt is a dynamic and high-traffic environment, making it ideal for demonstrating how reuse systems can function in practice. Together with strong partners, we are showing that circular solutions can be scaled and integrated into existing behaviours — without changing the overall experience,” says Gregor Franc de Ferriere, director reuse & circularity, Relevo by Duni. The project is planned to run for five years and aims to serve as a model for other urban locations where food and beverages are consumed on the go, such as markets, public spaces and transport hubs — supporting Duni Group’s broader ambition to drive the transition towards circular and more sustainable food packaging solutions in high-demand urban environments.


Packaging policy – the AVA responds


The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) has recently responded to two key government consultations on packaging policy, with the aim of continuing to champion fair and practical outcomes for the vending and automated retail industry. In response to DEFRA’s consultation on


reforming the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN) system, which aims to review of how the UK’s packaging recycling evidence scheme operates, the AVA supported evidence-based improvements to transparency and integrity, while stressing the importance of proportionality for a sector with limited control over packaging. The AVA said it welcomed stronger


oversight and targeted enforcement but cautioned against measures that could create unfair costs or market instability. The AVA also responded to the Welsh Government’s proposals to expand Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to cover littered and street bin waste. The AVA strongly opposed this approach, arguing it unfairly shifts the cost of littering onto responsible businesses, risks double charging, and is based on flawed assumptions about how packaging is used in real-world settings. Across both consultations, the AVA’s message was that reforms must be fair, evidence-based, and workable for the vending and automated retail industry.


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