What reCIRCLE does

reCIRCLE AG, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, operates a reusable packaging system designed to replace single-use containers in the takeaway food and beverage market. The company's core offering centers on a closed-loop physical asset pool — the reCIRCLE BOX (food containers in multiple sizes), the reCIRCLE ISY (reusable hot/cold beverage cups launched in 2021), and the PIZZA Mehrweg-BOX (launched in 2022 to replace disposable pizza cartons) — produced in Switzerland by family-owned manufacturers and distributed through a partner network of more than 1,000 restaurants, takeaways, mensas, corporate canteens, and municipalities across Switzerland and parts of Europe. The supporting technology layer consists of a mobile application that enables deposit-free borrowing and tracking, automated return stations for 24/7 returns, and a Welcome Pack starter kit that bundles 20 containers with first-year service costs for new partner locations.

reCIRCLE's revenue model is a hybrid of hardware sales — partners purchase the reusable containers outright — and an implicit recurring service component (the Welcome Pack's first-year service fee suggests ongoing annual fees for app access, network participation, and logistics). The company makes pricing details private, but volume is supported by anchor enterprise customers such as Coop (nationwide rollout since July 2019), Migros Restaurants (partnership from September 2021), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG, cumulative orders of 10,000+ BOXes and 6,000+ ISYs since 2019), and EPFL. The business scales principally by recruiting new partners and broadening use cases (restaurants, takeaways, workplaces, mensas, consumers, and municipalities) rather than through consumer-direct subscription.

Operationally the company remains lean (1-10 employees), with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Geographic expansion has progressed sequentially: Switzerland as home market, Germany in October 2020, and broader Europe from June 2021, alongside participation in the EU-funded STOPP research project on reusable packaging. Impact metrics cited by the company include over 80 million single-use containers prevented and 7,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions reduced since inception. Leadership is concentrated in founder Jeannette Morath (Geschäftsleiterin), and awards include the 2020 Swiss Economic Award (SEF).

Name

reCIRCLE

Legal name

reCIRCLE AG

Website

https://recircle.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

reCIRCLE AG, founded 2015 in Bern, Switzerland, operates a reusable packaging system — reusable boxes, cups, and pizza containers — distributed through 1,000+ partner restaurants, retailers, and workplaces across Switzerland and parts of Europe, with a companion mobile app for deposit-free borrowing and returns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reusable food and beverage packaging

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Donation, Reuse & Sustainability Returns Programs (TLAIAHAJ), Reusable Packaging & Container Return Programs (On-site) (BPABALAJ)

Keywords

• Reusable packaging system
• Reusable takeaway containers
• Circular economy food packaging
• Reusable coffee cups
• Deposit-free container network

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Container Sales to Partners: reCIRCLE sells reusable containers (BOX, ISY) to partner businesses (restaurants, takeaways, mensas, companies) who then lend them to consumers. Partners purchase the containers and offer them as part of their service.
2. Service Fee / Subscription: The Welcome Pack includes service costs for the first year. The company likely charges ongoing service fees to partners for use of the system, app access, and network benefits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

reCIRCLE provides a reusable packaging system for takeaway meals and beverages, selling Swiss-made reCIRCLE BOX food containers (1M, 2M, Menu L), ISY reusable cups for hot/cold drinks, and a PIZZA Mehrweg-BOX to partner businesses (restaurants, takeaways, mensas, corporate canteens). Consumers borrow containers deposit-free through the reCIRCLE mobile app at any participating partner location and return them across the network, replacing single-use food packaging at scale across Switzerland and Europe.

Product overview

reCIRCLE operates a reusable packaging system that replaces single-use containers for food and beverages on-the-go. The core product portfolio consists of the reCIRCLE BOX (reusable food containers in various sizes including 1M, 2M, and Menu L), the ISY reusable cup for hot and cold beverages, and the PIZZA Mehrweg-BOX for pizza delivery. The system is complemented by a Mobile App that enables deposit-free borrowing and tracking, Return Stations for automated container collection, and a Welcome Pack for business onboarding. reCIRCLE functions as a circular economy solution where consumers borrow containers at partner restaurants and return them to any participating location. The company, founded in 2015 and based in Bern, Switzerland, has expanded across Europe with over 80 million single-use containers saved since inception.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• reCIRCLE BOX: Main reusable container product line for takeaway food, available in multiple sizes (1M, 2M, Menu L) and transparent variants.
• reCIRCLE ISY
• reCIRCLE Pizza BOX

Products and services

• reCIRCLE BOX Reusable food container system for takeaway meals, available in multiple sizes (1M, 2M, Menu L) and variants (closed and transparent). Customers borrow containers from partner restaurants and return them at any participating reCIRCLE partner location.
• reCIRCLE ISY Reusable insulated cup for hot and cold beverages on-the-go, available in multiple sizes (XS, M, L). Designed to replace single-use cups at cafes, takeaways, and corporate settings.
• PIZZA Mehrweg-BOX Reusable pizza box designed to replace single-use cardboard pizza cartons in delivery and takeaway operations. Launched in 2022 to address pizza packaging waste.
• reCIRCLE Automatenbecher (Vending Machine Cup) Reusable cup designed for use in vending machines, addressing the problem of single-use cardboard vending machine cups.
• reCIRCLE Mobile App Mobile application enabling customers to find partner locations, borrow reCIRCLE containers deposit-free, track returns, and manage their reCIRCLE usage. Available via recircle-services.ch/app on iOS and Android.
• reCIRCLE Return Station (Rücknahmeautomat) Automated return station enabling 24/7 deposit-free returns of reCIRCLE containers at partner locations, supporting the circular return flow at scale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 million single-use containers prevented from becoming waste since 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Weisse Arena (LAAX)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Partnership with the Weisse Arena resort in LAAX to provide reusable containers at mountain restaurants and venues.
• MigroscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Migros Restaurants partnership for reusable meal containers. Migros is one of Switzerland's largest retailers with extensive restaurant operations.
• Swiss PostminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Swiss Post test for delivery service without packaging waste using reCIRCLE containers.
• SmoodcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2020Partnership with Smood for zero-waste food delivery service, integrating reCIRCLE containers with Smood's delivery platform.
• CoopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019Coop introduced reCIRCLE reusable packaging system across Switzerland nationwide, marking a major expansion milestone.
• EPFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) partnership demonstrating up to 40% reduction in combustion waste through reCIRCLE reusable packaging.
• HUG (Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Geneva University Hospitals, ordering over 10,000 BOXes and 6,000 ISYs since 2019.
• STOPP Project (EU Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerreCIRCLE is involved in the EU-funded STOPP research project for reusable packaging solutions. Launched 'reUse Wednesday' initiative in Bern as part of this project.
• SV GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant and catering company operating multiple partner locations including Hargrave's CosKit (Bern), Restaurant KAPO (Aarau), and BASF (Kaisten).
• Pix4DminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorreCIRCLE for Business partner at Prilly location, providing reusable containers for company employees.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Globelet: Australian reusable cup and container wash-and-reuse operator serving cafes, events, and venues; addresses the same takeaway waste problem as reCIRCLE BOX/ISY with an asset-light wash service model.
• Kaffeeform: German maker of reusable coffee cups made from coffee grounds, sold to cafes and retailers; addresses the same single-use-cup problem as reCIRCLE ISY with a more distinctive, branded product but a smaller network footprint.
• REKO Cup / Circular Cup: Swedish and Northern European reusable cup programs focused on event and foodservice channels; comparable to reCIRCLE's ISY reusable cup line in target use case and circular-economy positioning, though more specialized to beverage containers.
• CupClub: UK-based smart reusable cup service using tagged containers and IoT-enabled tracking; comparable in target market (coffee on-the-go) and tech-enabled approach but differentiated by cup-only focus and asset-tracking infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Recup: Germany's largest reusable cup deposit system (Recup/Rebowl), operating a partner network of cafes and restaurants; competes with reCIRCLE ISY directly in German-speaking markets, with a deposit-based model that contrasts with reCIRCLE's deposit-free approach.
• Vytal: Germany-based reusable packaging network for takeaway food and beverages using a deposit-free app-based model — a direct competitor to reCIRCLE in DACH with overlapping product categories (boxes, cups) and the same two-sided partner/consumer mechanics.
• Muuse: Singapore-headquartered reusable cup and container platform serving coffee shops, foodservice, and corporate campuses globally; competes with reCIRCLE in the enterprise and coffee-channel segments and represents a globally scaled alternative model.

Others

• Stiftung Mehrweg (Switzerland): Swiss foundation promoting reusable packaging and supporting operators in transitioning to reuse systems; comparable in mission and Swiss geographic footprint, acting as an industry ecosystem player rather than a direct operating competitor.
• Mehrweg (BUND) / Einweg mit Mehrweg ersetzen: German environmental NGO BUND operates a Mehrweg initiative that connects restaurants with reusable systems; functions as an ecosystem/enabling channel that competes indirectly with reCIRCLE for partner mindshare in Germany.

Regional players

• r.Cup (Mülltrennung leicht gemacht / Relevo): Germany-based reusable cup system with a deposit model across foodservice partners; directly comparable to reCIRCLE ISY in product and use case, primarily competing in DACH geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reCIRCLEnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recirclenow
• Instagraminstagram.com/recirclenow
• Xx.com/recirclenow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about reCIRCLE