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.
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.
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