A well-rounded matter – How Students Reinvented the Pizza Box

From university straight into self-employment – Marlene Bruch and Luise Hornbach hadn't expected everything to happen so quickly. While studying at the Offenbach University of Art and Design, they came up with the idea for PIZZycle, a creative packaging solution for pizzas. The pair have even been awarded with the title of ‘Culture and Creative Pilots’ by the German government for their unconventional solution. It’s an award that has made the former students proud, “because it shows us that they consider reusable packaging to be the sensible and right solution”.

What began in 2020 as a university project involving a small team during the pandemic has developed into a sought-after start-up. “As most restaurants were only allowed to offer takeaway food at the time, disposable packaging waste increased dramatically,” recalls the company's co-founder and creative director Marlene Bruch. The solution? A sustainable reusable concept as an alternative to the classic pizza box, brought to market maturity jointly with current managing director Filip Radnic.

Disposing of pizza boxes has always been difficult. Due to food residues and the fat absorbed by the paper, they have to be disposed of in the non-recyclable waste. The PIZZycle box, in contrast, is made of recyclable polypropylene, is dishwasher-safe, can be reused up to 500 times and is more sustainable than the disposable cardboard alternative after just eleven uses.

The start-up based its design, which is round like a pizza, on the principle of ‘form follows function’. “We believe that round food belongs in a round container,” says the entrepreneur. The solution saves materials, looks better and ensures a more harmonious product experience. Thanks to the integrated air holes, excess steam can escape, keeping the delicious contents hot and crispy for longer.

In practice, the system works via a deposit and return system. As the manufacturer of the box, PIZZycle works with both reusable systems such as Vytal – where customers can see which pizzerias are participating via app – as well as restaurants that use PIZZycle individually.

What started as an innovative idea in Offenbach is now an internationally recognized brand: “We are currently working with many different customers, such as branches of the Domino's Pizza chain in Germany and other chains in France and Eastern Europe,” reports Bruch. Campsites, amusement parks and festival organizers are also among the company's business partners. The concept has even found fans in Alaska and Australia: “In Australia, a festival organizer ordered several thousand PIZZycle boxes and put them into circulation. We are delighted to be striking a chord internationally and encouraging people to rethink their habits.” Customers can also order the round, reusable plastic box via an online shop and pick their pizza up in it later.