What zerooo does

zerooo is the commercial brand name of SEA ME GmbH, a privately held German company founded in 2021 and headquartered at Reeperbahn 1, Hamburg. The company operates what it describes as the only cross-brand, cross-retailer reusable packaging system (Mehrwegsystem) for the cosmetics and personal/home care industry in Germany. Through a B2B2C model, brands fill zerooo bottles in their own production facilities and distribute them through participating retailers; empty bottles are returned by consumers via a €0.50 deposit (Pfand) refunded at partner stores, then collected, industrially cleaned, and recirculated to brands for refilling. The system uses standardized 250ml glass and 300ml PET bottles under a Shared Pool, alongside fully customizable bottles under a Private Pool option.

The core technology stack combines physical reusable containers (PET bottles rated for up to 25 reuse cycles and 98% bottle-to-bottle recyclability post-retirement) with a digital layer using Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) serialization for lifecycle tracking — effectively a digital product passport for each bottle. reverse-logistics and industrial cleaning infrastructure are operated or coordinated with certified partners, and consumer returns are accepted at retail anchors including Müller Drogerie and Budni. Approximately 10 small-to-medium cosmetics brands with 30+ products are live in the system, with a further ~10 brands covering 20+ products stated to be launching soon. The company also operates its own consumer brand, SEA ME, demonstrating the model with a shower and care line sold in zerooo bottles.

zerooo generates revenue through two streams: a transaction-fee/deposit flow on consumer returns and a subscription/recurring service model where brands pay for access to the multi-use packaging infrastructure, including bottle provision, collection logistics, industrial cleaning, and return-to-brand operations. The company employs 6 people across functions including partnerships, sales, operations, design, circularity, technical development, supply chain, and reverse logistics, led by co-founders Lars Buck (CEO) and Mirko Waraszik (Director Supply Chain). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The company received grants in 2024 from IFB Hamburg (ProFi Umwelttransfer and Green Screening programs) for PET bottle development and from CITEO for French regional pilots, and won both the Mehrweg-Innovationspreis 2025 and the Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2025.

Name

zerooo

Legal name

SEA ME GmbH

Website

https://zerooo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

zerooo (SEA ME GmbH) operates Germany's only cross-brand, cross-retailer reusable packaging system for cosmetics and personal care, offering standardized and custom PET/glass bottles with industrial cleaning, GRAI-based lifecycle tracking, and a consumer deposit return network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reusable Cosmetics Packaging

NAICS

Glass Container Manufacturing (327213), Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (326160)

SIC

Glass Containers (3221)

akta.pro primary industry

Returnable & Refillable Glass Packaging (Deposit, Reuse Systems) (IMALAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

PET Bottles & Preforms (IMALAAAA), Stretch Blow-Molded PET Preforms & Bottles (ISBM) (IMANAGAC)

Keywords

• Reusable packaging system
• Cosmetics packaging solutions
• Deposit return system
• Circular economy packaging
• PET bottle reuse

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Deposit System (Pfand): zerooo operates a deposit-based system where consumers pay a deposit (Pfand) when purchasing products in zerooo bottles. The deposit is refunded upon return of the empty bottle at participating retailers.
2. Multi-Use Packaging Service: Brands pay for access to the zerooo reusable packaging system, including provision of bottles, collection logistics, industrial cleaning, and return to brands for refilling. Brands can choose between Shared Pool (standardized) or Private Pool (custom) options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

zerooo (operated by SEA ME GmbH) operates a cross-brand, cross-retailer reusable packaging system for cosmetics and personal/home care products. It supplies standardized 250ml glass and 300ml PET bottles (Shared Pool) as well as custom-branded bottles (Private Pool), provides GRAI-serialized lifecycle tracking, and runs industrial cleaning, collection, and redistribution logistics so that brands can offer products in reusable packaging without changing their own production processes. Consumers pay a €0.50 deposit that is refunded when empty bottles are returned to participating drugstore retailers.

Product overview

zerooo is a cross-brand and cross-retailer reusable packaging system (Mehrwegsystem) for the cosmetics and personal care industry, operated by SEA ME GmbH based in Hamburg, Germany. The system consists of two main offerings: the Shared Pool (standardized reusable containers in PET or glass available immediately) and the Private Pool (custom-branded container development for differentiation). The core products include 250ml glass bottles and 300ml PET bottles, with the PET bottles supporting up to 25 reuse cycles and 98% bottle-to-bottle recycling. The ecosystem includes GRAI-based serialization for lifecycle tracking, industrial cleaning and redistribution infrastructure, and a deposit system for consumer returns. SEA ME GmbH also operates its own brand (SEA ME) using the zerooo system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEA ME: The company's own brand of products sold in zerooo reusable packaging.

Products and services

• zerooo Shared Pool

Quantifiable outcome

• PET bottles can be reused up to 25 times before recycling
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Müller DrogeriecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor German drugstore chain serves as a return location for zerooo bottles. Hosts promotional displays for zerooo products. Part of the multi-stakeholder ecosystem enabling consumer returns at scale.
• BudnicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman drugstore chain serving as a return location for zerooo bottles. Part of the retail network enabling consumer access to the deposit return system.
• GRAI Technology ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationImplementation of Global Returnable Asset Identifier (GRAI) for bottle serialization and unique tracking throughout the product lifecycle. Enables digital product passport functionality for supply chain transparency.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Friendlier: Friendlier provides reusable packaging solutions for food service and consumer goods with a deposit-based return system. Similar operating model of managing reusable container pools and reverse logistics for consumer brands.
• Algramo: Algramo operates a reusable packaging system for consumer goods including personal care products, with refill stations in retail. Both companies enable brands to participate in reuse without changing production processes, using deposit-based return infrastructure.
• Muuse: Muuse operates a reusable cup and container system in partnership with retailers using deposit and reverse logistics. Comparable technology and consumer behavior framework for deposit-based reusable packaging, though primarily in food and beverage.
• Returnity Innovations: Returnity provides reusable packaging solutions for e-commerce and retail, with comparable model of reusable container systems and retailer integration. Both companies focus on replacing single-use packaging with reusable alternatives in consumer goods.
• Loop (by TerraCycle): Loop is a cross-brand reusable packaging platform launched by TerraCycle with major retailers like Kroger and Carrefour. Both zerooo and Loop operate reusable packaging-as-a-service models allowing consumer goods brands to participate in reuse without owning infrastructure.

Others

• Grüner Punkt (Der Grüne Punkt): Grüner Punkt is a German circular economy organization coordinating packaging recycling and reuse systems. Adjacent organization that could partner or compete with zerooo in coordinating cross-brand reusable packaging infrastructure in Germany.
• CITEO: CITEO is a French eco-organization that funds and coordinates reuse solutions to meet EU PPWR targets. Existing funding partner of zerooo, and as a market-shaping organization, indirectly competes for the same brands' sustainable packaging budgets.

Regional players

• Repack: Repack is a Finnish reusable packaging company offering a return system for online retailers. Similar deposit-based reusable packaging model for consumer goods, though currently focused on the Finnish market.
• Bower: Bower is a Swedish mobile app-driven recycling and reuse platform. Comparable in digital tracking and consumer engagement for reusable packaging, though Sweden-focused and broader in scope.

Broad incumbents

• ALPLA Werke: ALPLA is a global rigid plastic packaging manufacturer with PET bottle production and investments in circular economy solutions. Broader packaging player that could compete or partner with zerooo in PET bottle manufacturing and reusable systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 zerooo