SoTecIn Factory Startup Day

19–20 May 2025 | Porto, Portugal

Jonathan Schröder

Co-Founder

CU Mehrweg GmbH

Mannheim, Germany

2 profile visitsStartup Demonstrators – SoTecIn Factory

CU Mehrweg is building the future of sustainable packaging by offering "Reuse as a Service" for food brands and retailers.

My organisation

CU Mehrweg GmbH

CU Mehrweg GmbH

Start-up

Mannheim, Germany

CU Mehrweg is building the future of sustainable food packaging — by replacing single-use plastics with a scalable, standardized reuse system. We offer “Reuse as a Service” for food brands and retailers: products are filled into standardized reusable containers, labeled, and placed on shelves like any other prepackaged product. After consumption, consumers return the containers via standard reverse vending machines (“Pfandautomaten”). We manage the entire reverse logistics chain — including collection, cleaning, quality inspection, and digital tracking. Our pooling solution ensures full transparency over packaging flows, usage cycles, and CO₂ savings — enabling measurable impact and helping partners meet ESG and regulatory goals. CU Mehrweg is already live in the German retail market with REWE and EDEKA, and trusted by food brands such as Seeberger, Bohlsener Mühle, Müller’s Mühle, and Sunflower Family. In June 2025, we’re launching a major pilot with a well-known international confectionery brand — and have many more leading food brands in our pipeline preparing to join the system. The timing is ideal: the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is setting ambitious reuse and recycling quotas and pushing for mandatory infrastructure to reduce single-use waste across Europe. Retailers and manufacturers urgently need scalable, proven solutions — and CU delivers exactly that. Our system integrates seamlessly into existing retail and deposit infrastructures, making reuse as simple and measurable as single use — but radically more sustainable. CU is on a mission to bring circular packaging to the mainstream — cost-efficient, data-driven, and ready to scale.
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About me

I’m Jonathan Schröder, Co-Founder of CU Mehrweg and part of the founding team of three. Together with our now 10-person (and growing) team, we’re building a scalable reuse system to replace single-use packaging in the food industry — working with leading retailers and brands to make circular packaging the new standard.

Before founding CU, I completed a dual study program with a B.Sc. in Business Informatics and trained as an IT specialist at a major IT service provider. I gained experience in business development and account management, which now helps me drive strategic partnerships and growth at CU.

In addition to leading Sales and Marketing, I actively contribute to the development of our digital pooling and tracking software. My IT background plays a key role in shaping the technical side of our solution to ensure it’s scalable and intuitive for our partners.

We officially founded CU as a GmbH one year ago, but the groundwork was laid earlier — through early field tests, concept development, and building a strong industry network. Today, we’re on a mission to bring reuse into the mainstream — efficient, measurable, and truly circular.

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Skills

  • IT
  • businessdevelopment
  • Sales
  • Marketing

Interests

  • Retail
  • sustainability
  • PackaginSolutions

Marketplace (1)