Why Does Vytal Work Without a Deposit System?

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The Vytal system is deposit-free for customers, making it completely free to use. We finance ourselves through the restaurants that pay a small fee per refill of our Vytals. If a Vytal is not returned within the free 14-day return period at our partner locations, a fee of 10 euros per bowl and 4 euros per cup will automatically be charged to the customer. This is why it's necessary to provide a payment method when registering for our app. This serves as security for us and can also be used for pre-orders within the app.

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Why We Chose a Deposit-Free System

Higher Acceptance of Reusables
A high deposit amount creates a barrier to using reusables, as customers perceive the products as more expensive. For a larger food order, the deposit alone could amount to 30-40 euros – something we wanted to avoid. Our system is designed to be simple for both partners and customers to set up and use.

Lower Environmental Impact
Deposits don't provide an incentive for the quick return of reusable containers: with a return rate of 75%, only 6% of the cups would be in circulation after ten uses. Our return rate is 98%. Even though our return period is 14 days, most of our containers are back in circulation after just four days.

Higher Risk of Theft
A high deposit (our purchase price: 10 euros per bowl and 4 euros per cup) would significantly increase the risk of theft, as the containers could easily be exchanged for cash.

High Costs
Handling deposits is expensive: payment processing fees for (margin-free) deposits, separate booking of deposits with 0% VAT, and the formation of provisions are necessary. From an economic and accounting perspective, this is a major effort.

Deposit-Free is More Sustainable
To act as sustainably as possible, one thing is most important: the quicker the containers are back in circulation, the faster they can be reused. When returned at our partner locations, the containers are scanned, washed, and then ready for reuse. So, feel free to forget about the deposit bottles in the corner until you've saved up some extra Christmas money by the end of the year. Our Vytals, however, are happy to be swiftly returned to the loop.

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