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Juicy, spill-free and environmentally friendly: the kebab revolution from the Oberland

2023-02-18T17:06:16.917Z


Clever paper bag instead of wasting resources with aluminum foil: A start-up from the region is currently causing a sensation with its invention. Bilal and Cihan Dalgic want to turn the packaging industry in the food sector upside down with their self-developed "Kebag".


Clever paper bag instead of wasting resources with aluminum foil: A start-up from the region is currently causing a sensation with its invention.

Bilal and Cihan Dalgic want to turn the packaging industry in the food sector upside down with their self-developed "Kebag".

Weilheim/Peißenberg

– Bilal Dalgic (36) is a retail salesman and lives in Peißenberg, his brother Cihan (33) is a “Master of Science” in the field of “Management and Technology” and lives in Munich.

Nevertheless, the two meet regularly to advance their young company.

The fact that the two work together perfectly is something they are born with.

Her father has been running the "Antalya Döner Kebap" snack bar on Weilheim's Kaltenmoserstrasse for around 30 years, and his sons have supported him there since they were children.

This is where the idea for a resourceful innovation came about three years ago.

“We always used a lot of aluminum foil.

That's really a lot that goes on the whistle every week," says Bilal Dalgic.


This waste has always bothered him.

"Besides, it just doesn't look nice when the doner kebab is wrapped in aluminium," the aesthetic factor played an equally important role for him.

The health aspect is also relevant, because acid or salt can cause components of the metal to get into the food.

A warning about this is even on every pack of aluminum foil.

Döner sweats under the aluminum foil and becomes limp

The taste of the packaged can also suffer.

Because the doner kebab sweats in the airtight shell and becomes limp.

So the brothers went in search of alternatives to flat-rolled metal.

"First of all, we immersed ourselves in the production of aluminum foil," Bilal Dalgic thinks back to the beginning of the research.


Although he already knew beforehand that the environmental balance of aluminum is not as rosy as it is often portrayed, what he found out only really encouraged him in his plan.

Because the production of aluminum requires a lot of energy, a lot of CO2 is produced and the extraction of the raw material bauxite involves massive interventions in nature.

Huge amounts of red mud are produced as a waste product, which are dumped in large landfills.


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Start-up entrepreneurs: Bilal and Chihan Dalgic developed the doner kebab revolution because they no longer want to accept wasting aluminum.

© Photo: Ursula Gallmetzer

Bilal Dalgic is not only angry about the creation of the glittering foil, he is also critical of its disposal: "Aluminium can be easily recycled, but it has to be clean and first enter the recycling cycle," he explains and doubts that anyone who eats a doner kebab on the way, takes the trouble to separate the paper bag inside and the napkin from the metal and throws everything into the appropriate rubbish bin.

"It just gets crumpled up and then lost for recycling."

Long search for the perfect paper

The Dalgics therefore had a sustainable possibility in mind.

Cardboard was one of the first thoughts, but it was anything but resource-friendly.

So the brothers quickly came up with the idea of ​​paper packaging.

Research has shown that there are an incredible number of different types of paper.

Now it was time to find the right material.

"We read countless studies," recalls Bilal Dalgic.

"Fat and sauce have to be caught and nothing must drip out," he says, explaining the challenges of finding paper.


Kraft paper, which is used for many other bags, was quickly phased out.

Not close enough.

At some point, however, the solution was found: parchment replacement paper.

This is a largely greaseproof paper made from finely ground natural pulp that retains heat well.


Although the material was clear, the brothers had high standards here as well.

“We didn't want to order somewhere abroad.

That would not be sustainable,” explains Bilal Dalgic.

A suitable German manufacturer whose products even bear the FSC seal, an international certification for more sustainable forest management, was found.

14 prototypes until the shape was perfect - but unfortunately it didn't work

Then it was time for crafting.

The two men sat together again and again, cutting, folding, and gluing.

After 14 prototypes, the result was a "diaper bag", as it was christened by the inventor duo, with two tabs to be glued shut.

The siblings presented this model to six packaging manufacturers throughout Germany.


“We hissed off and drove to northern Germany.

Sometimes we slept in the car to save money,” says Bilal Dalgic.

Because everything in the start-up had to be self-financed.

“There is a lack of suitable funding in Germany.

The existing ones are very bureaucratic and tightly scheduled.

You often have to wait a long time for the money,” adds Chihan Dalgic.

But the effort was worth it.

The response from the companies was consistently positive.


However, nobody wanted to produce the doner kebab casing.

The tabs are technically difficult to produce and if so, too expensive.

On the day of his return, the dream of the perfect doner kebab packaging continued to be worked on, sketch after sketch.

Gained experience in dad's kebab shop since childhood

Then came the groundbreaking idea: a hexagonal shape that, after filling, folds open to form a larger bag and can be glued shut, serving as a transport bag for the Turkish specialty.

“We have the entire process in mind, as it happens in the kebab shop.

It was clear to us that it would work,” says Bilal Dalgic proudly.


The special trick of the "Kebag": The upper part can be torn off through perforations and thrown in the paper waste.

The lower part that comes into contact with the sauce can go in the organic waste.

A manufacturer was impressed, the cooperation was sealed.

A name for the unfoldable paper hexagon was quickly found - "Kebag".


"It's a functional bag," the inventors describe.

Because bakery bags, for example, only have one purpose: to enclose the contents.

However, the "Kebag" must be leak-proof, offer employees and customers comfort and, of course, the doner kebab should stay warm.

This even works better than with aluminum foil, as has already been tested in the Pro7 show "Galileo".

Additional costs of 3 cents compared to aluminum foil

After two and a half years of development, the young entrepreneurs are satisfied with the result.

"In general, the environmental aspect is very important to us, not just recycling," emphasizes Bilal Dalgic and adds: "We want to act in a functional, sustainable and resource-saving manner".


A bag costs between 6.5 and 7 cents.

For comparison: With aluminum foil, kebab shops spend 3 to 3.5 cents on packaging material per kebab.

Bilal Dalgic thinks: “A few cents more will not make anyone poor, but you can do something for the environment.

Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves whether price or sustainability is more important to them.”

Many have already chosen the latter.

A seven-figure number of "Kebags" are already in use in 45 different stores every year.

Mainly in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin and Bremen.

But the Dalgics also deliver to Austria, Belgium, Slovakia and Poland.

Because in 2021 they presented their product to the jury of the German Packaging Award and were able to win gold in the "Functionality and Convenience" category, which made them well known in the industry.

Prizes cleared - now French fries and Dürüm revolutions are to follow

The "Kebag" is currently also nominated for the "Green Product Award".

"Haepsi" is the name of the Dalgics' company.

The name derives from the Turkish word "hepsi", which means "everything".

And the ambitious siblings want to achieve everything they can.

The company is to be further expanded.


In addition to the "Kebag", other paper packaging is already offered on the homepage, for example for French fries or Dürüm.

"We have a customer who packs calzones in it," says Bilal Dalgic happily, thinking further in the direction of burgers, sandwiches and actually all take-away dishes that would be in good hands in paper.

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Daddy test passed with flying colors: Binali Dalgic has been running a well-known kebab shop in Weilheim for 30 years and swears by the new development of his boys.

© Photo: Ursula Gallmetzer

The brothers' start-up is refinanced with the proceeds.

This is already working well.

It pays for itself. However, the two men continue to work in their previous jobs to earn a living.

So that this is no longer necessary at some point, the company should continue to grow.

"An investor would speed things up," the Dalgics agree.

"Papa test" passed with flying colours

Promising negotiations are already underway with a major customer and numerous branches.

There is also a certification from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection: "Haepsi" takes part in the "Invest" funding program, which is intended to bring start-ups and private investors together.

A kind of "security seal for investors", as the businessmen describe it.


Papa Binali, who was also the first customer of "Haepsi", is very proud of his boys and has already gained a lot of experience with the "Kebag".

"It's much faster than with aluminum foil," says the father enthusiastically, and his employees don't want to go back to the old, cumbersome aluminum wrapping technique.


He wishes that more kebab shops would switch to environmentally friendly options.

"Aluminum is good in many areas, but it's just being used silly here," agrees son Bilal Dalgic.

He is firmly convinced of his product and is certain: "It will be a huge revolution for the paper industry." Juicier doner kebabs, spill-free and environmentally friendly - made in Weilheim.

You can find more current news

from the Weilheim-Schongau district at Merkur.de/Weilheim.

All news and stories

from our district

can also be found on our Facebook page.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-02-18

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