{"id":12258,"date":"2026-06-01T10:21:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T07:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T12:28:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:28:55","slug":"automated-cup-return-machines-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Automated Cup Return Machines Installed in Germany by TOMRA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">TOMRA Reuse has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomra.com\/news-and-media\/news\/2026\/automated-cup-returns-come-to-freiburg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">installed two automated return machines<\/a> at Freiburg Central Station, marking the first integration of automated reusable cup returns into an existing urban reuse system in Germany. The machines accept cups from <a href=\"https:\/\/recup.de\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">RECUP<\/a>, a reusable packaging network for food and beverage businesses, and allow consumers to return cups at any time without counter interaction, with the deposit refunded instantly to a digital payment method.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/#A_First_for_Germany\" >A First for Germany<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/#The_Technology_Behind_the_Return\" >The Technology Behind the Return<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/#The_Broader_Context_Reuse_Under_the_PPWR\" >The Broader Context: Reuse Under the PPWR<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/automated-cup-return-machines-germany\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_First_for_Germany\"><\/span><strong>A First for Germany<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Freiburg is described by TOMRA as the first German city to embed automated returns within an existing reusable packaging framework. The city was a deliberate choice: Freiburg already has an established culture of reusable packaging and operates a local packaging tax that actively incentivizes reusables over single-use alternatives. The infrastructure at the central station integrates with the RECUP network rather than replacing it, meaning consumers can return cups either at participating caf\u00e9s, as they would normally, or at the automated machines which operate around the clock without requiring staff assistance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The machines are currently configured to accept RECUP cups only, but TOMRA has indicated that the infrastructure is designed to support additional reusable packaging formats in the future, extending the potential scope of the system beyond cups.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Technology_Behind_the_Return\"><\/span><strong>The Technology Behind the Return<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">TOMRA Reuse provides both the physical return infrastructure and the supporting digital platform for the Freiburg installation. The machines automatically identify the cups upon return, with no need for manual verification. The deposit, paid by the consumer when purchasing a drink in a RECUP cup, is credited back immediately to their chosen digital payment method upon return.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This zero-friction return experience is central to the model&#8217;s effectiveness. High return rates in deposit and reuse systems are closely correlated with convenience: the easier it is to return packaging, the higher the participation rate. Embedding return infrastructure in such a high-traffic location addresses one of the persistent challenges of urban reuse systems: the requirement to return packaging to a participating outlet, which may not always be convenient for the consumer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-12252\" src=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Article-2.2-1024x768.png\" alt=\"Consumer returning a reusable cup to a TOMRA automated return machine inside a busy German train station.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Article-2.2-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Article-2.2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Article-2.2-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Article-2.2.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Image source: TOMRA Group\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Broader_Context_Reuse_Under_the_PPWR\"><\/span><strong>The Broader Context: Reuse Under the PPWR<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Freiburg installation arrives at a moment when reusable packaging systems are moving from pilot projects to policy requirements. The PPWR mandates reuse targets for specific packaging categories, with member states required to ensure that infrastructure for reuse systems is in place as the regulation begins to apply from August 2026. Germany, with its long-established deposit return system for beverage containers and a growing network of urban reuse initiatives, is among the better-positioned markets for this transition.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Freiburg installation is a practical demonstration of what reusable packaging infrastructure looks like when it is integrated into existing urban systems rather than built in parallel. The combination of automated returns, instant digital deposits and round-the-clock availability addresses the convenience barrier that has historically limited reuse participation rates. Whether this model scales depends on the willingness of municipalities, transport operators and packaging networks to invest in shared infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TOMRA Reuse installs Germany&#8217;s first automated cup return machines in Freiburg, showing how smart infrastructure can seamlessly scale RECUP networks and help brands meet impending PPWR reuse targets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":12253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drs-waste-en","category-544","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12258"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12260,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12258\/revisions\/12260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.packlab.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}