Gather + Gather Leads Project to Transform Reuse Programmes Across The UK Contract Catering Sector

Introducing Loop + Return

We have partnered with the global reuse platform, Vytal, and technology specialists, Lolly, to create and launch Loop + Return, the first technology-driven, integrated reuse programme for the UK contract catering sector.

Led by our technology and sustainability teams, this exciting collaboration 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.

Vytal Reuse Programme Launches Across Gather + Gather

We will be rolling this exciting innovation out across locations throughout autumn 2026.

Additionally, with decreasing dependency on disposables being the objective driving the project, the integration developed through the project is now available, via Vytal and Lolly, to other contract catering businesses across the industry. Gather + Gather and Vytal’s shared ambition is to create a network of reuse that generates a collective, positive impact.

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 – no separate app, no deposit, nothing 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.”

Peter Moore, CEO of Lolly, adds: “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.”