Reverse vending - feature articles

Leading not-for-profit youth services organization partners with the New South Wales deposit return scheme, raising over AU$120,000 for young people, their families and communities

Latvia’s DRS for drink container recycling launched on 1 February 2022, with TOMRA providing reverse vending machines nationwide for the return of empty containers.

TOMRA’s reverse vending machines have become more intelligent and efficient than ever – and at the heart of these solutions is the Internet of Things (IoT).

A look at the cutting-edge technology inside reverse vending machines (RVMs) and TOMRA’s culture of engineering innovation.

As the company hosts an internal AI Summit to explore the possibilities for AI, TOMRA shares its perspectives on AI and its applications for reverse vending.

Jumbo Eerbeek takes the convenience and speed of container recycling to the next level with TOMRA R1’s new digital experience, enabling recyclers to drop full bags of beverage containers, leave, and receive immediate payment, to get shopping quicker!

When we throw things away, we want them to come right back so that they can be used again, just like a boomerang. In line with this thinking, Project Boomerang is the start of an exciting journey to increase the share of recycled content in TOMRA reverse vending machines and enable more material flows to enter circular loops.

Collecting cans and bottles for recycling can make a big difference for your school, and for the planet. Learn how to organize a successful school fundraiser with your local deposit return system and start recycling for a cause!

Germany has the world’s largest and highest-performing deposit return scheme, achieving a record 98% return rate on eligible single-use drink containers, owing to the system’s meaningful deposit value and convenient network of return locations.

Together with Return and Earn and Containers for Change, TOMRA partnered with the Australian Marine Conservation Society and Bush Heritage Australia to encourage recyclers to help protect Australia’s natural habitats and native species.

As we all continue to learn more about plastic pollution in nature, the statistics and images can sometimes be overwhelming. 

Christina Ek, Project Manager at TOMRA Collection, shares some insight into TOMRA's ongoing sustainability journey and efforts to minimize the environmental impact of TOMRA reverse vending machines.

Tove Andersen, President and CEO at TOMRA, calls for greater collaboration between TOMRA, our customers, and our partners, explaining that increased cooperation is essential to making tomorrow’s world more sustainable.

Make your summer adventures more environmentally conscious by following these eco-friendly tips

This year’s MET Gala showcased recycled materials in decorations and clothing. While this may seem like a win for sustainability, it's important to consider the downstream consequences of these choices.

A look at TOMRA’s advanced collection, sorting and processing solutions that enable the circular economy – with sensor technology at their heart.

TOMRA examines how recycling habits around drink container returns impact shopping behavior

Community choir uses bottle donations to organize trips and concerts

Recycling trends: TOMRA examines how recycling habits around drink container returns impact shopping behavior

A proud sponsor of the Honor Flight mission, Bottle & Can Retrieval Centers (TOMRA Collection US) have supported Honor Flight for the past two years with a fundraising event in the spring and fall.

Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, the Estonian children’s charity, Aitan Lapsi, has shifted their focus to support Ukrainian children by gathering donations from container deposit refunds for the Ukrainian Culture Center in Tallinn.

Animal Welfare League partnered with the Return and Earn container deposit scheme and TOMRA to encourage recyclers to help animals in need by returning their drink containers and donating some of their deposit refunds.

Slovaks have returned three quarters of a billion beverage containers, with a return rate over 70% — exceeding the goal of 60% set for the first year of the new deposit return scheme.

10 tips for a more eco-friendly holiday season

We take a look at the history of deposit return schemes, and how these recycling programs for drink containers have evolved.

Following the introduction of the deposit scheme on 1 December 2017, the total beverage container return rate in New South Wales rose from 32% in 2017 to 65% in just over two years, redirecting containers from landfill or litter to recycling.

A look at the beverage industry’s eco-friendly alternative to virgin PET

Getting ready for Halloween? From costumes and decorations, to trick-or-treats and the party, here are tips on how to celebrate in a fun and sustainable way!

Harald Henriksen believes that TOMRA Collection has the opportunity to make an enormous impact in the world, to reduce plastic pollution and the associated emissions, and to empower communities to take action.

TOMRA explains the importance of recycled content requirements in deposit return schemes. Read part nine of the System Spotlight series.

The appeal raised money for Starlight Children’s Foundation, turning empty drink containers into much-needed support for the families of sick kids.

Regarded as the world role model for beverage container recovery and recycling, Norway’s deposit return system is one of the most efficient in the world.

Find out why deposit return schemes are becoming more popular in response to the growth of plastic pollution and rising recycling costs.

What started as an exercise to clean up the neighborhood developed into an opportunity to help the local community.

So, you know TOMRA provides reverse vending machines to collect drink containers for recycling, but did you know that TOMRA does even more things that help preserve the environment?

A recent survey conducted by TOMRA in March 2022 shows a decisive majority of Slovaks participates and deposits their beverage containers regularly.  This is a result of high consumer awareness and satisfaction, which drives the number of beverage containers collected for recycling. This success is made possible in part by responsible consumers willing to adopt new habits for a higher cause.

As TOMRA marks 50 years in business, we take a look back at how TOMRA spawned an industry and the company’s legacy of innovation in the reverse vending space.

TOMRA explains the importance of reinvesting unredeemed deposits and material revenue in Deposit Return Schemes. Read part eight of the System Spotlight series.

Plastic remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our oceans. Where does this plastic come from? And how does it end up in the seas?

What are they, why are there microplastics in the ocean, and what action can we take?

The Arc Eastern Connecticut is a non-profit organization supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and their families. But the organization doesn’t only provide meaningful services – it also helps protect the environment in Connecticut.

Local litter collector Louis Bouwmeester used the local deposit return system to raise money to buy a defibrillator to support safety and health in his neighborhood.
23 May 2022

Drinks containers made from recycled materials have a smaller carbon footprint than those made from scratch. By keeping high-quality materials in a recycling loop, deposit return systems work to avoid carbon emissions in a number of ways.

Most people know that over-consumption is harmful to the environment. Clothing is no exception, but we still buy loads of it each year. While it’s unrealistic to expect people to stop buying new clothes entirely, lessening our consumption and making mindful choices can make a difference for the planet.

In this System Spotlight article series, TOMRA provides a deep dive into the best practices of high-performing container deposit return schemes.

The demand for plastic continues to grow and, currently, only 2% of plastic packaging is kept in a closed loop. What about the other 98% and what can be done to support a plastics circular economy?

A deposit return system for drink container recycling is a form of Extended Producer Responsibility. Who pays for a deposit return system, and how is it funded?

Around the world, demand is growing for countries to increase their recycling rates for bottles and cans as a means to fight litter, ocean plastic, and reduce recycling costs. Learn more about what bottle bills are and how they work to ensure container recycling.

Marine debris is one of the largest ecological challenges facing the world today and
poses a grave threat to underwater and coastal ecosystems, as well as to human health.

The battle against plastic pollution in the environment and our oceans is high on the agenda for TOMRA Collection. Here’s why.

Bring environmentally-friendly actions into your everyday life, and get the New Year off to a greener start with these tips.

Currently, 10 states throughout the U.S. have bottle bills (container deposit return laws) in place. Learn more about how these bottle bill states work, the scope of containers included, and the results they have achieved.

Inspire future recycling revolutionaries by getting kids involved in recycling bottles and cans. Motivating kids to recycle can be a great way of teaching them about the environment.

The circular economy is transforming the way we use and reuse resources, reducing waste and improving the sustainability of our planet. But what is the circular economy, and how does it work?

Recycling is a great way to help the environment, because it helps keep our planet clean and keeps our resources in a loop of continuous reuse. This reduces our reliance on raw materials for producing new containers, and ensures fewer containers end up discarded in oceans, streets and landfills

Earth Overshoot Day announcement highlights need for circular economy for resource sustainability

Maximizing the positive impact of beverage container recycling for your customers, your business and the planet

The circular economy is transforming the way we use and reuse resources, reducing waste and shifting our lives in a more sustainable direction. Here are five examples of circular economies that are transforming industries and already in action across the globe, including container deposit schemes for closed-loop recycling.

To mark World Environment Day, TOMRA looks at the issues surrounding land-based plastic waste and how it is damaging both our wildlife and the environment.

A million plastic bottles are sold every minute. TOMRA has made it its mission to stop them reaching the ocean.

There has been a seismic shift in public attitudes to waste and recycling recently, and policymakers have been implementing ambitious targets and new regulation all over the world. The European Union is no exception, having announced a series of new laws that will undoubtedly change the way EU Member States recycle and view waste in the future.

A staggering 1.4 trillion cans and bottles are used across the globe every year, but shockingly only 9% are being recycled. 14% are incinerated and an even larger proportion of the world’s plastic bottles and cans are going into our oceans, streets and landfills.

Around the world, demand is growing for countries to increase their recycling rates for bottles and cans, as a means to fight litter and ocean plastic and conserve scarce resources. To meet this challenge, many regions are considering container deposit schemes, which see up to almost 100% of all drink containers returned for recycling. Learn more about what container deposit schemes are and how they work.

Beverage containers recycled through reverse vending machines are collected and sorted without contamination from other types of waste. This ensures that they can be recycled into new bottles and cans again and again. This is a process we call Clean Loop Recycling.

As part of TOMRA’s 45th anniversary celebrations this year, we spoke to co-founders and brothers Tore and Petter Planke about the early history of the company. Check out our video interview with the TOMRA founders.

People can cash in their eligible drink containers from today for a 10-cent refund as part of the State’s Return and Earn container deposit scheme, Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton has announced.

Wondering what a reverse vending machine is, how it works, or what happens to your bottles and cans after you return them for recycling? Learn more in this introduction to reverse vending

Reuse and new mindsets are vital in achieving a circular economy