Vytal has acquired Bumerang in hopes of expanding digital reuse across foodservice and events venues in Spain, as well as helping more organizations align with incoming PPWR mandates.
According to Vytal, reusable packaging solutions are ‘still in early stages of development’ in Spain, yet the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s entry into force is pushing foodservice, e-commerce, beverages, and other industries to expand their reusable offerings.
Integrating Bumerang into Vytal is expected to widen its reach beyond its existing markets in North America and several European countries – targeting new ‘high-potential’ sectors in Spain, including collective catering, quick service restaurants, and events.
In particular, Bumerang’s tech-enabled reusable solutions – said to have prevented ‘tons’ of single-use foodservice and takeaway packaging from being manufactured since the company was founded – are now anticipated to serve companies like Movistar and Puig, Universidad Europea de Madrid and other university institutions, and hospitals such as Vall d’Hebron.
Distributing reusable packaging at events is also hoped to provide new forms of consumer engagement by letting event organizers and consumer brands capitalize on sponsorships.
“We’re excited to announce that Bumerang, a pioneer in tech-enabled reuse based in Barcelona and fellow member of New ERA – New European Reuse Alliance, is now officially part of the Vytal Global family,” reads a LinkedIn post from Vytal.
“This acquisition marks a major step forward in our mission to make reuse the new normal across Europe. Together with Bumerang’s experienced and mission-driven team, we’re strengthening our position as the leading provider of digital reuse solutions for foodservice, catering, and events.
“From major universities and hospitals to consumer brands like Movistar (Telefónica Hispam) and Puig, Bumerang has built a strong foundation in Spain. Now, with Vytal’s scale and tech platform, we’re ready to unlock even more value for event organizers, facility caterers, and QSRs.
“Reuse only works at scale and this partnership brings us one step closer to a truly waste-free, tech-powered packaging future.”
“At Bumerang, we’re extremely excited to join Vytal, the global leader for tech-enabled reusable packaging solutions,” says co-founder and CEO Oriol Segarra. “Their experience of working with large customers from the catering, foodservice and event industries across the globe will further accelerate the momentum for reuse in Spain.”
Dr. Tim Breker, co-founder and managing director at Vytal Global, adds: “Reuse has massive scale effects and it is a privilege for Vytal to continue the great work of the Bumerang Team in Spain building on their network, experience and expertise.
“Looking back onto the last five years, we recognize a lot of similarities between Bumerang and Vytal. Oriol and Luis have taken the right strategic decisions leveraging technology developments, customer feedback and market insights setting Bumerang up for a fast integration of team and customers into Vytal.”
The acquisition encompasses Bumerang’s proprietary technology, client base, and most of its team.
Both Vytal and Bumerang were signatories of an open letter to the European Parliament, which called for the PPWR to include mandatory reuse quotas across all industries, a ban on single-use packaging for on-site consumption, and measures to prevent reuse loopholes.
Since then, other reuse systems have come to light. Borro has revealed an app-free, QR-driven reuse system for beverage cups served at events, intended to improve consumer satisfaction and boost return rates.
Additionally, Reusables.com offers an RFID-enabled, zero-deposit reuse system for foodservice containers, as well as smart return bins for university campuses, offices, hospitals, and other institutions; and Circulayo’s smart reuse technology is targeted at local businesses, helping them transition into reuse with QR-enabled data tracking, branding customizability, and an upcoming ‘frictionless’ deposit system.
Vytal was also a winner in the Readers’ Award category of Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards. We caught up with Dr. Tim Breker a year later; he told us more about the company’s expansioin, his vision of the future for tech-driven reusable packaging, and the learnings we can derive from its implementation so far.
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