A new building block for urban reuse
Automated cup returns come to Freiburg, Germany
Two TOMRA Reuse return machines installed at Freiburg Central Station mark a first for Germany: automated returns integrated into an existing urban reusable system. Together with the established RECUP network, the machines offer consumers a new, convenient way to return their cups - without needing to find a participating café.
The right technology at the right location
Freiburg has long been at the forefront of sustainable urban policy. The city has an established reusable packaging culture, a growing network of RECUP partners, and a packaging tax that actively favors reusables over single-use alternatives. What it has lacked - until now - is automated return infrastructure at high-traffic locations where on-the-go consumption naturally converges with public mobility.
Freiburg Central Station fits that brief precisely. Commuters, visitors, and residents from across the region pass through it daily. Two TOMRA Reuse machines installed on site allow cup returns at any time, without a counter interaction, and with immediate deposit refund to the user's digital payment method. The machines recognize RECUP cups automatically, making the process fast and frictionless.
Freiburg demonstrates how the RECUP network can be expanded with additional return infrastructure where there is high demand. Central stations are busy hubs: people from across the region come together here, travelling into or out of the city. Reusables need to work as simply as possible, even across city borders — and we've achieved that."
Technology that fits into existing systems
TOMRA Reuse provides both the physical return infrastructure and the digital platform underpinning the project. The technology is designed to be interoperable: the machines currently accept RECUP cups, but the infrastructure can be configured for other reusable packaging formats in the future, making it a flexible asset for any city building out its reuse ecosystem.
Critically, automated returns do not require cities to build a new system from scratch. They enhance and extend what already exists - giving consumers an additional return point, increasing network density, and making the overall system more practical for everyday use.
Reusable solutions work best when returning is just as easy as using. Freiburg shows how automated returns can meaningfully enhance existing reusable systems. For cities, this is a crucial point: promoting reusables or making single-use less attractive isn't enough. The right infrastructure is needed so consumers can naturally integrate reusables into their daily lives."
Proven at scale in Aarhus
TOMRA Reuse's track record in automated city-wide returns is grounded in Aarhus, Denmark, where more than 30 return machines have been operating in public spaces since January 2024. The results speak clearly: nearly two million returns processed, and a return rate of 89 percent over the past 12 months - among the highest recorded for any urban reuse system in Europe.
Freiburg is the first city in Germany to integrate automated returns into an existing reusable environment, and a signal of what is possible when infrastructure ambition matches policy intent.
About TOMRA Reuse
TOMRA Reuse is a corporate venture of the TOMRA Group, a global leader in circular solutions. TOMRA Reuse develops digital, traceable, and efficient systems for reusable to-go packaging, deploying them at major events and in city-wide reusable systems. The TOMRA Group operates more than 113,000 installations worldwide in pursuit of a world without waste.
