Man in Lisbon looking at CopoMais reusable cup return machine

What does it take to create a successful citywide reusable takeaway packaging system?

A comprehensive guide to designing, implementing, and scaling urban reuse systems — drawing on real-world experience and European best practices.

Every year, billions of single-use cups, food containers, and lids are consumed and discarded across Europe's cities. In Denmark alone, roughly 200 to 300 million disposable cups are thrown away each year. In Lisbon, an estimated 25,000 single-use plastic cups circulate on a single busy weekend night. In Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city, officials discovered that nearly half of all waste in public city bins came from takeaway food and beverage packaging.

These are not just waste management statistics. They represent a systemic failure in how we design the consumption of food and beverages outside the home. Single-use takeaway packaging follows a linear "take-make-waste" model that consumes resources, generates greenhouse gas emissions, fuels urban litter, and burdens municipal waste systems.

But there is an alternative — and it is already working.

Across Europe, a new generation of citywide reusable packaging systems is demonstrating that it is possible to combine the convenience of on-the-go consumption with truly circular practices. These systems replace disposable cups and containers with durable, reusable alternatives that are collected, professionally sanitized, and redistributed in a continuous loop.

This article explores what it takes to build and operate a successful citywide system for reusable takeaway packaging: the key characteristics that define such systems, the different models currently in use across Europe, the financial considerations, and a detailed look at one of the world's most advanced implementations — the REUSEABLE system in Aarhus, Denmark, operated by TOMRA Reuse.

Man serving a beverage in a REUSEABLE cup in Aarhus

Page contents

Why this matters: The benefits of citywide reuse systems

The transition from single-use to reusable takeaway packaging at a city scale delivers benefits that extend well beyond waste reduction. When properly designed and implemented, a citywide reuse system creates value across environmental, economic, and social dimensions.

Environmental benefits

  • Significant waste reduction: A citywide reuse system directly eliminates tonnes of single-use packaging waste annually. During the Aarhus Festuge cultural festival alone, over 150,000 REUSEABLE cups were sold in just 10 days — an amount that would have filled over 1,200 waste bins if disposable cups had been used.
  • Lower greenhouse gas emissions: Shifting from single-use cups to reusable ones has the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70%. A study conducted by environmental consultancy Eunomia in 2023 confirmed that reusable cups can achieve lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to single-use paper cups when the reuse system achieves a return rate of at least 83% and at least six cup rotations.
  • Resource conservation: Reusable packaging extends the life of materials, dramatically reducing the demand for raw materials, energy-intensive production, and the water consumed in manufacturing disposable alternatives. The washing system at the TOMRA Reuse Sanitization Hub in Aarhus uses just 0.5 decilitres of water per cup — compared to approximately 2.5 decilitres of water used in the production of a single-use paper cup.
  • Reduced urban litter: With automated 24/7 collection points and a financial incentive to return, reuse systems dramatically reduce the packaging that ends up littering streets, parks, and waterways.
Woman emptying REUSEABLE return machine in Aarhus

Economic benefits

  • Reduced waste management costs: When packaging is kept in circulation rather than being discarded, municipalities see reduced expenditure on collection, sorting, and disposal of waste. Waste collection can be made more efficient, and recyclable material is kept out of the mixed waste stream.
  • Local job creation: The operation of a reuse system — including collection logistics, sanitization, quality assurance, and redistribution — generates local employment.
  • Long-term cost savings: In Europe, there is an increasing trend toward internalizing the actual societal costs associated with the consumption of single-use packaging by introducing environmental fees or even bans on this material. This provides the potential for reusable takeaway packaging to deliver considerable overall cost-savings compared to single-use packaging.

Social and policy benefits

  • Regulatory compliance: The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force in February 2025 and applies from August 2026, mandates that restaurants and cafés must offer consumers the option to use their own containers by 2027 and provide reusable packaging for takeaway by 2028. By 2030, the legislation suggests 10% of ready-prepared takeaway packaging should be reusable. Cities that build reuse infrastructure now will be well positioned to meet these requirements.
  • Civic engagement and sustainability culture: A well-functioning reuse system creates a visible, tangible connection between individual consumer behavior and broader sustainability outcomes, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
  • Cleaner and more attractive city: Cities rely on being able to offer efficient civic services, clean and attractive public spaces, as well as a safe environment for both people and animals. Disposable takeaway packaging, along with bottles and glasses used by the hospitality industry, turn to waste immediately after use. Reusable systems help remove the main source of urban littering from the streets. Reusable cups with a deposit value also provide an incentive for others to pick up and return any cups that have been discarded by the original users.
Two women walking in Aarhus with REUSEABLE coffee cups

Key characteristics of city systems for reusable takeaway packaging

Not all reuse systems are created equal. A truly effective citywide reusable packaging system requires a combination of well-designed infrastructure, sound financial incentives, strong governance, and a commitment to making the system as convenient as possible for both consumers and businesses. Drawing on frameworks from both the policy and practitioner communities, this section outlines the essential characteristics that define successful systems.

Essential system criteria: The Zero Waste Europe RSVP Blueprint

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), through its ReuSe Vanguard Project (RSVP), has developed a Blueprint for harmonizing the implementation of takeaway food and drink packaging systems for reuse across Europe. The RSVP Blueprint identifies five essential criteria that any citywide reuse system should meet:

Five criteria for successful city reuse programs defined by RSVP project
Graphic from the Zero Waste Europe RSVP Blueprint report
  • They must be effective in obtaining high return rates and operational efficiency to ensure environmental goals are met.
  • They must be easy to use. This means having a sufficient density of collection points, clear signage and wayfinding, simple return processes, and broad availability of reusable packaging at points of sale. If returning a reusable cup requires significantly more effort than throwing away a disposable one, adoption will suffer.
  • They must allow interoperability, allowing consumers to use the same system across multiple vendors and locations within a city. An "open" system — where cups and containers from different participating businesses can all be returned through a shared infrastructure — is fundamental to achieving scale and convenience.
  • They must be inclusive, providing accessibility for all local stakeholders, from small cafes to large venues.
  • They must be safe and hygenic, ensuring that the packaging is collected and transported efficiently to a professional sanitization facility, cleaned to food-safety standards, quality-assured, and redistributed promptly. 

In early March 2026, ZWE organized a field trip to Denmark through the RSVP project, bringing together around 80 delegates from city governments, municipalities, NGOs, and sustainability policy experts from more than a dozen European countries. The Aarhus leg of the trip was hosted by TOMRA Reuse alongside Aarhus Municipality, with delegates touring the sanitization hub, testing the return machines, and participating in a workshop on scaling reuse.

TOMRA's seven essentials to scale reusable packaging

Complementing the ZWE framework, TOMRA Reuse has identified seven essential elements required to build and scale a reusable packaging system at city level, drawn from its direct experience in Aarhus and Lisbon:

  1. An open managed system (OMS): The system must be able to handle packaging from different suppliers, with each piece uniquely identified using serialized QR codes or RFID chips. This enables full traceability, deposit management, and performance reporting across the entire system.
  2. Automated collection infrastructure: Automated return machines (reverse vending machines) placed in high-footfall locations provide 24/7 convenience for consumers and enable efficient collection at scale. In Aarhus, TOMRA operates 25+ fixed automated collection points plus additional temporary installations for city events. Although there is no requirement for vendors to participate in the program, any retailer can join and at the time of the writing, over 58 vendors in the city were participating in the program.
  3. Digital deposit management: A fully digital deposit system — where consumers tap a contactless payment card or device to receive their refund — removes the friction of cash handling and enables the system to work seamlessly for both residents and visitors. No app or registration required for consumers. The payment infrastructure in TOMRA's systems is enabled through collaboration with Visa, Mastercard, and Shift4.
  4. Centralized, industrial-grade sanitization: Professional sanitization facilities ensure that packaging is cleaned to food-safety standards, quality-inspected, and returned to circulation efficiently. This relieves individual businesses of the burden of washing and quality-assuring packaging themselves — a critical differentiator from systems that rely on in-store cleaning.
  5. Integrated logistics: An efficient logistics operation connects collection, sanitization, and redistribution. This includes route optimization, demand forecasting, and coordination between field operations and the sanitization hub.
  6. Digital platform and data transparency: A central data platform tracks every piece of packaging through its lifecycle — storage, delivery, sale, return, washing, quality assurance, deposit activation, number of rotations, and (if applicable) the reason for discarding. This data supports operational optimization, regulatory compliance, and transparent performance reporting.
  7. Municipal partnership and supportive policy: The involvement of city government is not just a "nice-to-have" — it is a commercial and operational necessity. Municipal backing provides legitimacy, facilitates permits for public collection points, enables enforcement of supportive regulations, and fundamentally changes the dynamic for hospitality businesses considering adoption.
Kenny Rytter, Manager of Café Europa 1989 in Aarhus

The real unlock for us was the fact that we were choosing to be part of a system that the municipality was explicitly supporting. If it was just a private player proposing the solution, I'd be looking only at whether there's an economic benefit for me. When the municipality is part of it -- it's a different ballgame."

Kenny Rytter Manager, Café Europa 1989, Aarhus

Overview of different models currently in use

Across Europe, several distinct operational models for reusable takeaway packaging have emerged. While they share the common goal of replacing single-use with reusable packaging, they differ significantly in how collection, return incentives, and system governance are structured.

Model 1: Deposit system with automated return stations

Examples: TOMRA Reuse (REUSEABLE in Aarhus, Denmark; CopoMais in Lisbon, Portugal), New Loop (Copenhagen, Denmark).

This model combines a refundable deposit with automated reverse vending machines (RVMs) for returns. Consumers pay a small deposit when purchasing a beverage in a reusable cup. When they are finished, they return the cup to any automated collection point in the city, tap a contactless payment card or device, and receive their deposit refund digitally — directly to their bank account or payment method.

Key features:

  • Open managed system: Multiple vendors participate in a shared infrastructure; consumers can buy at one location and return at any collection point in the network.
  • Automated, 24/7 collection: RVMs are available around the clock, providing maximum convenience.
  • Digital deposit management: No cash handling; refunds are processed electronically.
  • Centralized sanitization: Used packaging is collected from machines, transported to a professional sanitization facility, cleaned, quality-assured, and redistributed.
  • Full traceability: Each piece of packaging carries a unique serialized identifier (QR code or RFID), enabling complete lifecycle tracking.


This model is particularly well suited for dense urban environments and can handle significant peak volumes — in Aarhus, the system managed over 150,000 cups in a single 10-day festival period. In Lisbon, the CopoMais system launched in November 2025 with a €0.50 refundable deposit and is progressively expanding its network of public return machines across the city's busiest entertainment districts.

In Copenhagen, the New Loop system operates on a similar deposit-and-return principle, with collection infrastructure placed throughout the city center. Denmark is actively developing a national reuse mandate, making it both a live showcase and a policy laboratory for reuse at scale.

Model 2: Deposit system with manual return points

Example: RECUP/Rebowl (Germany)

In this model, consumers also pay a deposit when purchasing a drink or meal in a reusable cup or bowl. However, rather than returning packaging to an automated machine, they return it directly at any participating café, restaurant, or retailer in the network.

Key features:

  • Manual return at participating businesses: Consumers hand back the cup or bowl over the counter at any participating location.
  • Deposit refund: The deposit (typically €1 for cups, €5 for bowls in Germany) is refunded at the point of return.
  • Decentralized cleaning: In most cases, each participating business is responsible for cleaning the returned packaging on-site using their own dishwashing facilities.
  • App-based location finding: Consumers use a mobile app to find nearby participating locations.


This model has achieved significant network scale in Germany, with thousands of participating businesses. Its primary advantage is low infrastructure cost — no automated machines are needed. However, it places the burden of cleaning and quality assurance on individual businesses, which can result in inconsistent hygiene standards and creates an operational overhead that not all businesses are willing to absorb. Return convenience is also limited to business opening hours and requires face-to-face interaction.

Model 3: Penalty system for non-return

Example: Vytal (Germany)

Rather than charging a deposit at the point of sale, this model allows consumers to borrow reusable packaging for free — but charges a penalty fee if the packaging is not returned within a specified timeframe (typically 14 days).

Key features:

  • No upfront deposit: Consumers receive reusable packaging at no additional cost at the time of purchase.
  • Time-based penalty: If the packaging is not returned within the allowed period, a charge is debited from the consumer's registered payment method.
  • App-dependent: The system requires consumers to register via a mobile app, which tracks borrowing and return.
  • Manual return at participating locations: Like the RECUP model, returns are made at participating businesses.


This model lowers the barrier to initial adoption — there is no upfront cost for the consumer — but it relies heavily on app registration and digital engagement, which can be a barrier for tourists, occasional users, or those without smartphones. The delayed financial incentive may also result in lower return rates compared to immediate deposit-refund models. This effect is further multiplied by the fact that this type of system does not provide an opportunity for others than the original consumer to redeem a deposit on the cup should it be discarded.

The choice of model depends on a city's specific context, scale ambitions, regulatory framework, and available investment. For cities seeking to build truly scalable, transparent, and high-quality reuse systems, the automated deposit model with centralized sanitization offers the most robust foundation — particularly as the PPWR introduces stricter requirements for packaging reuse reporting and performance monitoring.

Sven Hennebach, Senior Manager for TOMRA Reuse, standing next to reusable cup return machine at Freiburg central station.

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."

Sven Hennebach Senior Manager, TOMRA Reuse

Policy as a critical enabler and driver for citywide reuse systems

While operational design determines whether a reuse system works in practice, policy frameworks determine whether such systems can emerge, scale, and deliver their intended environmental benefits. Reusable takeaway packaging systems require investment in shared infrastructure, high consumer participation, broad retailer adoption, reliable return incentives, professional sanitization, and transparent performance monitoring. These conditions rarely develop at scale through voluntary action alone.

Supportive and well-designed policies are therefore essential to make reuse systems viable, attractive, and effective.

Policy has three core functions in enabling successful citywide takeaway packaging systems: ensuring environmental benefits, incentivizing adoption, and guiding the transition.

1. Ensuring environmental benefits through minimum system requirements

Reuse only delivers environmental benefits when packaging is returned, washed, reused multiple times, and ultimately recycled at the end of life. A reusable cup or container that is used only a few times — or treated like a disposable item — may fail to outperform optimized single-use alternatives. For this reason, policy should not focus only on the packaging item itself, but on the performance of the system.

Policy should set minimum system requirements that can help ensure that reuse systems deliver measurable environmental value. These requirements could include:

  • Minimum return or collection rates, ensuring that packaging remains in circulation rather than becoming waste or litter.
  • Minimum number of rotations, with around 10 rotations identified as a possible tangible system-performance indicator to ensure environmental benefits against best available single-use alternatives in an optimized recycling scenario.
  • Scrap-rate monitoring, measuring how much reusable packaging is lost, damaged, or removed from circulation.
  • Replacement-rate reporting, showing the extent to which reusable packaging is replacing single-use packaging rather than merely being offered as an additional option.
  • LCA-based performance assessment, based on harmonized methodology and common definitions.
  • Recyclability requirements, ensuring that reusable packaging is recyclable by design and at scale once it reaches end of life.
  • Mandatory reporting and auditing, based on indicators such as return rate, reuse rate, rotations, scrap rate, replacement rate, and lifecycle performance.
  • Enforcement mechanisms, ensuring that systems comply with minimum performance standards rather than merely making general environmental claims.


This is particularly important in the context of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which sets a trajectory towards more systematic reuse in the takeaway sector. Restaurants and cafés will be required to accept consumers’ own containers by 2027, provide reusable packaging options for takeaway by 2028, and meet a 10% reuse target for ready-prepared takeaway packaging by 2030.

The future PPWR implementation may include requirements on minimum rotations, reporting, labelling, and system performance.

The key point is that reuse policy should not simply mandate reusable packaging; it should require effective reuse systems.

2. Incentivizing adoption and making reuse the norm

Citywide reuse systems require high participation from both businesses and consumers. In dense urban areas, the environmental potential is only realized when reuse becomes a mainstream option rather than a niche alternative. The importance of high uptake, including benchmarks such as above 90–95% return rates and above 85% share of sales in covered city districts is to be considered fundamental.

Policy can support this transition by creating the right incentives for both the establishment and uptake of reuse systems. Relevant instruments include:

  • Mandatory reuse offering requirements, ensuring that consumers are systematically given a reusable option at the point of sale.
  • Ambitious targets and timelines, giving businesses, municipalities, and system operators a clear investment signal.
  • Environmental fees or levies on single-use packaging, helping to internalize the waste, litter, and municipal clean-up costs currently borne by cities and society.
  • Progressive restrictions or bans on single-use packaging if reuse uptake targets are not met within a defined timeframe.
  • EPR fee modulation, so that reusable systems are financially rewarded and disposable formats carry a fairer share of their end-of-life and litter costs.


The experience of Tübingen illustrates how local economic instruments can help level the playing field between single-use and reuse. The city pioneered a municipal tax on single-use items, including €0.50 on food and beverage packaging and €0.20 on cutlery, as part of a broader reuse strategy that also included subsidies for businesses switching to reusable alternatives.

Other German cities are now following or considering similar approaches. Freiburg, for example, introduced a single-use packaging tax from 1 January 2026, applying charges to disposable cups, containers, cutlery and similar takeaway items, with the stated aim of reducing litter and encouraging reusable packaging systems. These examples show how city-level fiscal measures can create a stronger economic rationale for businesses to move towards reuse.

TOMRA Reuse automated return machine for reusable cups inside a market in Freiburg
TOMRA Reuse return machine for reusable cups at a market by Freiburg Central Station.
TOMRA Reuse return machine for reusable cups installed in wall at Freiburg central station
TOMRA Reuse return machine for reusable cups installed in a wall at Freiburg Central Station.

3. Guiding the transition through standards and shared infrastructure

Reusable takeaway packaging systems are still at an early stage of market maturity. Multiple public and private actors are developing different models, formats, return incentives, and operational approaches. Without guidance, this can lead to fragmentation, consumer confusion, inefficient infrastructure, and lower return rates. Policy can accelerate progress by establishing common standards and promoting best practice.

Key areas where policy guidance is needed include:

  • Shared infrastructure in public spaces, especially in densely populated areas where high-footfall return points are essential for convenience.
  • Minimum coverage of return points, ensuring that consumers can return packaging easily and at any time.
  • Harmonized return incentives, such as deposit or penalty levels, to avoid confusion and ensure strong return behavior.
  • Packaging design, marking, and labelling, so that users can easily identify reusable packaging and understand how to return it.
  • Clear roles and responsibilities, covering municipalities, vendors, system operators, and producers.
  • Vendor obligations, including when and how reusable packaging must be offered.
  • System operator obligations, including traceability, reporting, sanitization standards, and performance transparency.
  • User communication and education, helping consumers understand the system and build new habits.


This policy role is closely linked to one of the main lessons from citywide reuse systems: convenience is decisive. The Aarhus experience shows that more collection points close to where reusable packaging is sold are a key driver of user adoption. Policy can help by granting access to public space, integrating return points into urban planning, and ensuring that shared infrastructure is treated as part of the city’s circular economy infrastructure.

From obligation to implementation: The importance of enforcement and system conditions

Regulatory ambition alone is not sufficient. A ban, target, or obligation only becomes effective when it is supported by practical system conditions: available reusable packaging, sufficient return infrastructure, clear responsibilities, consumer communication, and enforcement.

The Lisbon example is particularly relevant. Lisbon’s 2024 ban on single-use plastic cups created a clear regulatory push for a compliant reuse system, while the CopoMais system provides the operational infrastructure required to make reuse feasible for businesses and consumers. However, the broader lesson is that bans or restrictions must be accompanied by adequate enforcement and a functioning reuse infrastructure; otherwise, even ambitious policy measures risk delivering limited impact.

Portugal also illustrates the importance of moving from general policy ambition to systematic reuse requirements. In the context of PPWR implementation and national/local policy development, requirements to offer reuse must be complemented by reporting obligations, EPR integration, performance requirements, and enforcement by competent authorities.

This is where policy can help ensure that reuse is not merely available in theory but adopted in practice.

CopoMais cup return machine in Lisbon

EU policy sets the direction, but national and local action is needed

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation provides an important regulatory trajectory for reuse, but its success will depend heavily on national and local implementation. EU rules can set targets, obligations, and definitions; however, cities and national governments will need to translate these requirements into concrete measures on permitting, enforcement, reporting, public-space access, funding, EPR integration, and business obligations.

Denmark provides an important example of how operational experience can inform national policy development. The Aarhus pilot has generated practical data on return rates, consumer behavior, collection infrastructure, sanitization, and logistics.

This points to a broader policy pathway: local pilots can demonstrate feasibility, but national frameworks can help scale reuse through harmonized requirements, standards, and infrastructure planning.

In this sense, successful reuse policy should not be understood as a single measure, but as a coherent policy package combining:

  • Performance requirements to ensure environmental benefits.
  • Economic and regulatory incentives to drive adoption.
  • Shared infrastructure and standards to make participation convenient and scalable.
  • Monitoring and enforcement to ensure that systems deliver in practice.

Financial Models: Making Reuse Economically Viable

The financial viability of a citywide reuse system depends on how costs are structured and distributed among stakeholders. While the upfront capital expenditure required to establish the infrastructure is significant — automated collection points, a sanitization facility, a logistics operation, and a digital platform — the ongoing economics can be favorable when designed correctly.

Key cost components

Every citywide reuse system must provide and finance:

  • Collection infrastructure: Automated return machines or manual collection points
  • Sanitization facility: Industrial-grade cleaning, drying, and quality assurance
  • Logistics operation: Collection of used packaging, delivery of clean packaging
  • Digital platform: Deposit management, packaging tracking, performance reporting
  • Packaging pool: The initial inventory of reusable cups and containers


The importance of shared infrastructure

A critical factor in achieving a viable business case is the extent to which infrastructure costs can be shared. In an open managed system, where multiple businesses participate in a common reuse infrastructure, the cost per participating business is significantly lower than if each business had to invest in its own collection, cleaning, and tracking systems independently.

Revenue and cost recovery mechanisms

Citywide reuse systems can draw on several revenue streams to cover operating costs:

  • Service fees from participating businesses: Businesses pay a per-cup or per-use fee that covers the cost of providing clean, quality-assured packaging, collection, and sanitization. In Lisbon's CopoMais system, for example, each cup has a cost of €0.30 + VAT charged to bars.
  • Unredeemed deposits: Deposits on cups that are never returned (due to loss, damage, or consumers choosing not to return) are retained by the system operator to help offset the costs of operating the system.
  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) savings: Under the PPWR, producers will face EPR fees for single-use packaging. Businesses that transition to reuse may benefit from reduced or eliminated EPR obligations for their reusable packaging, creating a financial incentive to switch.
  • Municipal co-investment: While systems like CopoMais in Lisbon are designed to be self-financing, municipal support can take the form of in-kind contributions (such as permitting public locations for return machines, or integrating reuse messaging into city communications) rather than direct financial subsidies.
  • Local taxes to level the playing field: Since the burden of cleaning up disposed single-use packaging falls on municipal waste management services, several municipalities have introduced or are considering introducing taxes on single-use packaging items to offset the adverse effects of littering and waste generation. The tax on single-use packaging items contributes to leveling the playing field with reusable alternatives, as the true costs to society and the environment are made visible at the point of sale. The German city of Tübingen has been a pioneer in this regard.


Cost neutrality for participating businesses

One of the key conclusions from TOMRA's experience is that, for a reuse system to achieve broad adoption among hospitality businesses, it must be cost-neutral or advantageous compared to the cost of single-use packaging. In Aarhus, retailers purchase reusable cups from TOMRA Reuse at a comparable price point to disposable cups, while the deposit flows through the system and is recovered when the cup is sold to a consumer.

Case Study: Aarhus, Denmark — The REUSEABLE System

The most comprehensive and well-documented example of a citywide reusable takeaway packaging system in operation today is REUSEABLE in Aarhus, Denmark. Launched on 17 January 2024 as a three-year pilot, REUSEABLE has become a reference case for cities across Europe — demonstrating not just that city-scale reuse is feasible, but that it can achieve strong performance metrics while generating valuable learnings for future deployments.

Motivation: Why Aarhus started a three-year trial

Aarhus set up its three-year trial for reusable takeaway packaging to directly combat issues associated with takeaway packaging litter and waste management costs. Officials found that nearly half (48%) of all waste in public city bins came from takeaway food and beverage packaging.

The city launched this proof-of-concept project with TOMRA to tackle several specific objectives:

  • Eliminate single-use waste at the source: With 200 to 300 million disposable cups thrown away annually in Denmark alone, the trial aimed to demonstrate a viable alternative by shifting to durable polypropylene cups that can be used hundreds of times.
  • Test a unified, open-loop system: Aarhus wanted to determine whether an open-loop system — where customers can use the same cup across multiple different cafés and restaurants — could be viable at a city-wide scale.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Shifting from single-use cups to reusable ones has the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70%.
  • Improve the local urban environment: The initiative was designed to reduce litter and make the city cleaner by utilizing automated 24/7 drop-off stations and a financial incentive (a 5 DKK deposit) for returning cups.

Components of the system

The REUSEABLE system in Aarhus is a comprehensive end-to-end solution comprising several interconnected components:

Reusable packaging pool: The system includes a standardized packaging pool consisting of seven different types of reusable cups for hot and cold drinks, food bowls, and lids — all made from durable polypropylene. Each piece of packaging carries a unique serialized QR code, enabling full digital traceability.
REUSEABLE packaging examples
Participating retailers: Approximately 53–58 retailers in central Aarhus participate in the system, purchasing REUSEABLE cups from TOMRA Reuse instead of buying disposable alternatives. Reusable cups are offered at the same price point as disposable ones. When a customer buys a beverage, they can choose a reusable cup and pay a deposit of 5 DKK (approximately €0.67).
Coffee served at a shop in Aarhus in a REUSEABLE cup
Automated collection infrastructure: TOMRA operates 25+ fixed automated collection points across the inner city of Aarhus, plus an additional 2–15 temporary machine installations deployed in connection with various city events. These machines are available 24/7 and accept both reusable beverage cups and, with the latest generation of machines, food containers.
RUSEABLE return machine in the streets of Aarhus
Digital deposit return: When returning a cup, consumers tap a contactless payment credential (card, phone, smartwatch) to activate the collection machine, insert their cup(s), and receive the deposit refund directly to their bank account or payment card. The payment system is enabled through collaboration with Visa, Mastercard, and Shift4.
Person tapping a Visa card on a TOMRA Reuse return machine
Centralized sanitization hub: TOMRA operates a purpose-built industrial sanitization facility at Ecopark in Aarhus. All returned cups are collected from the machines, transported to the hub, cleaned using an industrial-grade washing system with an efficient water recirculation system (using just 0.5 decilitres of water per cup), dried, quality-inspected, and prepared for redistribution. Cups that fail quality inspection due to scratches, nicks, or discoloration are sorted out and sent for recycling.
Man operating REUSEABLE cup cleaning machine

For a detailed exploration of how the sanitization facility operates, see our companion article "Optimizing a sanitization facility for reusable takeaway packaging.

Logistics operation: An electric vehicle is used to deliver clean packaging and pick up used packaging across the city, using reusable transport bins and reusable bags for collection. The operations team monitors incoming orders from retail partners and the volume of returns at each collection machine to plan the most efficient daily delivery and pick-up routes.
TOMRA Reuse employee heading to the company's electric van
Digital platform: The TOMRA Reuse open managed system provides the digital backbone for the entire operation, tracking every piece of packaging through storage, delivery, sale, return, washing, quality assurance, deposit activation, and number of rotations.
REUSEABLE cups, bowls and lids and digital platform icon
Online ordering system: Participating venues order reusable packaging through a convenient online ordering platform. All delivered packaging is quality-assured and each item's unique digital code is activated for the deposit return incentive upon delivery.
Example of online ordering options for REUSEABLE

Results and learnings

After more than two years of operation, the REUSEABLE system has generated impressive results and invaluable operational learnings.

Performance metrics (as of early 2026):

  • More than 1.8 million cups collected since launch
  • Return rate: First year 87% (730K cups), second year 89% (820K cups)
  • Individual cups completing over 40 loops of reuse
  • 25+ automated collection points across the inner city
  • Approximately 53–58 participating retailers


Consumer satisfaction: In a survey of 1,039 Aarhus residents conducted by Aarhus Municipality in conjunction with Epinion in late 2024, 84% of users said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the REUSEABLE system. Critically, satisfaction levels increased the more frequently the system was used — suggesting that the added effort of returning packaging to a collection point is not in itself a hindrance to adoption.

Key learnings:

  • Convenience is the number one driver of adoption: The most important factor cited by non-users that would encourage them to try the system was adding more collection machines, closer to or at the establishments where reusable cups are sold.
  • Return rates have climbed steadily: From an initial 87% after the first year, the return rate climbed to 89% after the second year and is expected to approach the levels seen in mature bottle and can deposit return systems as volume increases and national measures take shape.
  • Peak volume management is critical: During Aarhus Festuge in 2025, the city's largest annual cultural festival, over 150,000 cups were sold in 10 days and achieved a return rate of 95% — requiring careful planning of sanitization capacity, staffing, and logistics. A flexible mix of permanent, part-time, and temporary employees is essential to handle volume fluctuations.
  • Municipal partnership is a commercial unlock: The collaboration between TOMRA Reuse and Aarhus Municipality has been consistently identified as a key success factor. Municipal backing provides legitimacy, facilitates permitting for public collection points, and fundamentally changes the dynamic for hospitality businesses.
  • The proof-of-concept phase is behind us: As René Jørgensen, Field Site Manager for TOMRA Reuse in Aarhus, observed: "In the beginning, visitors saw the seamless experience almost as science fiction. Now we see that visitors are savvy: they know what is required, what the pain points are, and have very specific questions. I believe cities are prepared to make the decisions to take this forward."
  • Policy impact: Perhaps the most significant outcome of the Aarhus pilot is its influence on national policy. The Danish government has established a secretariat (Norion) for the development of a national reusable takeaway packaging solution in Denmark — informed in part by the operational experience and data generated by the REUSEABLE system.
  • European recognition: The REUSEABLE system won the European Reusable Award, with Simon Rossau, Project Manager for Circular Packaging Systems at Aarhus Municipality, noting: "TOMRA has been such an integral part in developing and managing this system... It's so important to have this public-private partnership in developing circular systems. You cannot do one without the other."

Video: The Story of Stuff — How Aarhus Built a Citywide Reusable Cup System

For a visual introduction explaining why reusable cup systems matter and how they work, watch this short video from The Story of Stuff Project.

Expanding the model: CopoMais in Lisbon

Building on the experience gained in Aarhus, TOMRA Reuse has deployed a second city-scale system: CopoMais in Lisbon, Portugal. Launched in November 2025, CopoMais is a joint initiative by the City of Lisbon, the Portuguese Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Establishments (AHRESP), and TOMRA.

Lisbon's context is distinct from Aarhus — the city attracts more than 8 million tourists annually in addition to its over two million metropolitan residents, and its Bairro Alto entertainment district is one of Europe's densest nightlife zones. The city implemented a pioneering ban on single-use plastic cups in May 2024, creating a regulatory push for a compliant reuse system.

CopoMais cups carry a €0.50 refundable deposit, and the system is progressively expanding its network of automated return machines across the city's historical center. By the end of summer 2026, the system is expected to have at least 17 public return machines across Bairro Alto, Bica, Cais do Sodré, and Santos.

As João Jalé, Senior Manager for TOMRA Reuse in Portugal, explained: "With CopoMais, we are proud to be introducing — together with our partners — an innovative and effective system for managing the use of reusable cups at scale for Lisbon's residents and visitors. This system allows the hospitality industry to fulfill the regulatory requirements in Lisbon concerning the use of reusable cups, while having the potential to deliver both reduced costs and significant environmental benefits."

CopoMais reusable cups in four sizes

Key conclusions: What makes a citywide reuse system succeed

Drawing on the frameworks, operational experience, and case studies presented in this article, four overarching conclusions emerge about what it takes to build a successful citywide reusable takeaway packaging system:

1. It must be convenient for consumers

Consumer convenience is the single most important determinant of adoption and sustained use. This means a sufficient density of collection points in high-footfall locations, a simple and intuitive return process, 24/7 availability, and a fast, frictionless deposit refund mechanism. The Aarhus experience confirms this: residents identified more collection machines as the top factor that would encourage greater use, and satisfaction increased with frequency of use — demonstrating that convenience breeds habit.

2. It must be cost-neutral or advantageous for participating retailers

For hospitality businesses to adopt a reuse system at scale, the economics must work. This means the cost of participating in the system — purchasing reusable packaging, managing deposits — must be comparable to or lower than the cost of purchasing and disposing of single-use alternatives. Systems that place excessive financial or operational burden on individual businesses will struggle to achieve the broad adoption needed for city-scale success.

3. It must utilize a shared infrastructure of collection points and centralized sanitization

A shared, open infrastructure is the key to scalability and efficiency. When multiple businesses participate in a common system of collection points and a centralized sanitization operation, the costs are distributed, the consumer experience is seamless (buy anywhere, return anywhere), and hygiene and quality standards can be consistently maintained at a professional level. Systems that rely on individual businesses to handle their own collection and cleaning face inherent limitations in terms of quality consistency, consumer convenience, and scalability.

4. It requires commitment and backing from key stakeholders and city government

A citywide reuse system cannot succeed as a purely private-sector initiative. It requires a supportive ecosystem that includes:

  • Municipal commitment: City governments must actively support the system through policy, permitting, enforcement, and communication. Technical solutions are no longer the question — the gaps are political commitment, financial structuring, and business onboarding.
  • A supportive policy framework: Regulations such as the PPWR at the EU level, or Lisbon's municipal ban on single-use cups, create the conditions under which reuse systems become not just attractive but necessary. A successful reuse policy framework should include: performance requirements to ensure environmental benefits; economic and regulatory incentives to drive adoption; shared infrastructure and standards to make participation convenient and scalable; and monitoring and enforcement to ensure that systems deliver in practice.
  • A viable financing mechanism: The system must be financially sustainable through a combination of service fees, deposit management, and — where appropriate — public co-investment or regulatory incentives.
  • Hospitality industry engagement: The active participation of cafés, restaurants, bars, and quick-service outlets is essential. Municipal endorsement significantly changes the dynamic for businesses, transforming the decision from a purely economic calculation into a broader commitment to a city initiative.

Looking ahead: From pilot to scale

The question is no longer whether citywide reuse systems can work. The evidence from Aarhus, Lisbon, Copenhagen, and cities across Europe demonstrates clearly that they can. The question now is how to move from individual city implementations to a scalable, multi-city reuse infrastructure — supported by harmonized EU regulation, proven operational models, and growing consumer and business demand.

As Geir Sæther, Head of TOMRA Reuse, summarized: "Aarhus is an important showcase for a city-wide reusable takeaway system at scale. Our ambition is to make reuse convenient, efficient and transparent — in a way that makes it a credible and sustainable alternative to disposable packaging."

With the PPWR now setting a clear regulatory trajectory, with Denmark developing a national reuse mandate informed by the Aarhus experience, and with cities from Amsterdam to Brussels actively exploring implementation — the era of citywide reuse is not approaching. It has arrived.

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