Success Story
Helios Clinics
Relevo is a leading provider of reusables for food and beverages to-go in the German healthcare sector.
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Helios Clinics focus on climate protection and sustainability with Relevo reusables.
Helios Clinics take their responsibility seriously. Climate protection and sustainability beyond legal requirements are high on the agenda for the coming years. In the catering sector, Helios is also making an important step by gradually switching to reusable packaging containers.
Helios is a partner of the hospital network “Wir für Gesundheit” (We for Health) and Europe’s leading private hospital operator, with around 125,000 employees in total. In Germany, Helios operates 87 hospitals, approximately 130 medical care centers (MCC), six prevention centers, and 17 occupational health centers. Each year, around 5.4 million patients are treated at these locations, including 4.4 million outpatients. Helios employs more than 75,000 people in Germany.
- Reusable Containers at over 80 locations
- Reusable Packaging Made from Recyclable Materials, used up to 1,000 Times
- Reusable Glassware, used up to 2,000 times
The challenges
With over 80 locations across Germany, Helios faced the challenge of making catering in canteens, bistros, and cafeterias more sustainable. Single-use plastic packaging generated large amounts of waste and unnecessary CO₂ emissions daily, impacting not only the environment but also operational effort. Traditional deposit systems would have further complicated daily hospital operations and were therefore not an option. A solution was needed that could integrate seamlessly into existing processes, remain hygienically safe, and significantly reducing waste.
Already in 2023, Europe’s largest private hospital operator aimed to drastically reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging in its cafeterias. The goal was to meet the hospitals’ own high sustainability standards while exceeding legal requirements for reusable containers. To drive this change, the catering operations in Helios hospitals also introduced an environmental surcharge on single-use packaging after a transition period. The proceeds have since been invested in local sustainability projects. This was another step to make ecological responsibility visible and measurable. Sustainability is not a side issue but, alongside digitalization, one of the company’s strategic top priorities, with a clear focus on patient care, employees, the environment, and compliance.
The solution
With a wide range of dining options, from cafeterias and bistros to canteens, Helios needed a solution that could flexibly meet different requirements. Relevo impressed with the largest selection among reusable packaging providers: durable and hygienic reusable containers made from high-quality SAN plastic and glass in various sizes and shapes. This allows the perfect packaging containers to be chosen for every meal, from freshly brewed coffee to hot soup. An additional advantage is that the containers are microwave-safe, enabling employees to heat their meals quickly and easily.
A decisive factor in the decision was Relevo’s experience in the healthcare sector. Numerous institutions, including the Hannover Medical School, Service GmbH Schwarzwald, and AKH Viersen, are already successfully using the digital reusable system. In all cases, both guests and employees benefit: they can conveniently take meals and drinks with them without generating single-use waste.
Preventing packaging waste before it occurs is a major lever for environmental protection. We are very pleased that our cafeterias now systematically offer reusable take-away containers. This is another step toward a low-waste future. With Relevo by our side, we can provide employees and patients with their meals and drinks in an eco-friendly way without any additional costs.
- Enrico Jensch, COO Helios
The Results
In the Helios cafeterias, guests and employees can now easily borrow Relevo containers via an app. The implementation was straightforward and required no additional administrative effort. The environmental impact speaks for itself: our durable reusable packaging containers made from high-quality SAN plastic can be used up to 1,000 times and is fully recyclable. The range is complemented by innovative glass reusable containers, which offers an even better CO₂ footprint and can be used up to 2,000 times.
“Being able to integrate catering in a medical facility with as many locations as the Helios clinics into our system is a special achievement for us. Our main goal is to eliminate single-use waste, and this brings us a huge step closer to it all at once,” says Aaron Sperl, Co-Founder of Relevo.
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