Cologne's Früh Gastronomie is introducing its own deposit system for food packaging - with dishwasher-safe bowls and trays from a manufacturer based in Oberberg. The reusable packaging comes from KeepIn, a subsidiary brand of the Jokey Group.
Reusable instead of disposable. Kölner Früh Gastronomie GmbH is introducing its own reusable system and relies on a regional partner. The new „Früh's Dillendöppche“ packaging line comes from the Oberberg-based manufacturer KeepIn, a subsidiary brand of the plastic packaging specialist Jokey Group.
The idea is simple: guests take their food with them in robust, dishwasher-safe containers, bring them back after eating and receive cleaned and freshly filled containers in return. In this way, the containers go round in circles, just as the Cologne term „Dillendöppche“ suggests - a spinning top that never comes to rest. Once in circulation, the packaging remains in the system.
KeepIn currently supplies packaging in three variants for the „Früh's Dillendöppche“ reusable system: A sturdy tray for menu combinations, a large bowl (1,250 ml) and a smaller one (750 ml) for salads or soups. All three are made of BPA-free polypropylene (PP), are microwaveable, stackable and designed for several hundred wash cycles. The deposit price is five euros per unit. They are handed out and returned at participating Früh Gastronomie shops. From there it goes into the dishwasher and back into circulation.
KeepIn favours a resource-saving design for its reusable packaging. Each pack consists of only as much polypropylene as necessary. The company was founded in 2023 and is the reusable brand of the Jokey Group. The young label supplies catering, events and system providers with durable packaging for cold and hot food, such as bowls, trays and coffee cups.
The name Dillendöppche is more than just folklore. It summarises what modern reusable solutions should achieve. They should circle and never end. Because every container that is reused saves material, energy and completely reduces the ecological footprint. Every guest who takes part is part of this movement.
Source: KeepIn/early catering
