Lolly have partnered with progressive catering and hospitality business Gather + Gather and global reuse platform Vytal to create and launch Loop + Return, the first technology-driven, integrated reusable packaging programme for the UK contract catering sector.
Led by the Gather + Gather technology and sustainability teams in collaboration with Lolly and Vytal, this exciting partnership has created a fully automated reuse product built around the customer experience.
Designed to make reuse effortless and drive higher adoption, Loop + Return removes many of the steps at point of sale that can discourage customers from taking part. Unlike traditional reuse schemes, the process is integrated into the technology they already use so there is no separate app to download, no deposit to pay and no need for customers to scan and link reusable items themselves.
Loop + Return integrates Vytal's reuse system into Gather + Gather's tills and apps, removing physical and financial burdens from customers. It is free at point of sale and automatically links to existing Gather + Gather apps that are already downloaded and used as part of customers' daily routines for activities such as ordering, loyalty rewards and special offers.
Additional features have been built into the Gather + Gather apps to elevate the Loop + Return experience for customers, such as setting their preferred packaging option for pre-orders and receiving return reminders.
Loop + Return also supports customers who do not use apps with app-free Tap2Borrow technology available, and Gather + Gather will be rolling this exciting innovation out across locations this autumn.
Additionally, with decreasing dependency on disposables being the objective driving the project, the integration developed through the partnership is now available via Vytal and Lolly to other contract catering businesses across the industry. Gather + Gather, Vytal and Lolly share the ambition of creating a network of reuse that generates a collective, positive impact.
Peter Moore, Lolly's CEO and Founder, said: "This is an exciting development for contract catering. It demonstrates how technology can turn sustainability ambitions into something that works practically at scale.
“Reuse only succeeds if it is simple for the customer and operationally seamless for the caterer. By integrating the reuse journey directly into the existing technology and EPoS environment, we can remove friction and make choosing reusable packaging part of the everyday transaction."
"We're proud to have partnered with Gather + Gather and Vytal on this innovation. It shows how technology can help operators remove barriers to adoption and make sustainable choices easier for customers. Most importantly, because the integration is now available to the wider contract catering market, its potential impact extends far beyond a single organisation."
Charlotte Thwaite, Head of Sustainability for Gather + Gather, said: “We’re incredibly excited about this partnership and the impact this innovation can have. We know customer experience can be a real barrier to adoption. We’ve designed the Loop + Return powered by Vytal experience to be as seamless and familiar as possible. By integrating the process into our existing systems, we’re taking the complexity away from the customer and making reuse as easy as choosing a disposable cup.”
“We chose to partner with Vytal and Lolly as they have a shared commitment to technology innovations and championing customer experience; focusing on tech-driven solutions and uptake as well as return rates. We’re excited to roll this out, and even more importantly, to make the innovation available to our fellow contract caterers. Ensuring it’s widely available could have a hugely positive impact in reducing disposables across the contract catering sector.”
Adam Trethewy, Country Manager UK & Ireland for Vytal, comments: "Reuse wins when it's easier than the disposable alternative, and that's what this project delivers. Loop + Return powered by Vytal takes away the last points of friction at point of sale – no separate app, no deposit, no containers to scan – so the reusable option becomes the default rather than the exception. We're proud to have built this with Gather + Gather and Lolly, and prouder still that it's being made available to the wider sector: every caterer that joins grows the network and the collective impact."
