Multi-feed returns of drink containers for recycling hits new records

Milestone 500 TOMRA R1 reverse vending machines installed

Image of TOMRA R1 reverse vending machine

A milestone 500 TOMRA R1 reverse vending machines for drink container recycling have now been installed in retail stores and redemption centers, announced global reverse vending leader, TOMRA Collection. Launched in 2019, these “multi-feed” reverse vending machines are now live in 16 countries – with parallel milestones of over 400 TOMRA R1s installed in Northern Europe, and over 200 in Sweden alone.

Multi-feed returns enable recyclers to pour over 100 empty beverage containers into the reverse vending machine in one go, for a more efficient and enjoyable recycling experience. When returning over 100 beverage containers, recycling at TOMRA R1 is up to five times faster than using a single-feed solution, since containers do not need to be inserted one by one.

TOMRA R1 helps attract consumers to the retail locations that host the machines, with stores on average seeing a 33% rise in consumer sessions and 86% increase in containers returned. A recent consumer research survey shows that 87% of recycling consumers spend their deposit refund in store toward their next grocery purchase, so recycling customers not only bring footfall to stores, but also revenue.

The same survey found 46% of consumers would like to use multi-feed reverse vending, with this rate even higher in Sweden, Norway and Germany where TOMRA R1 is already available.   

Retailers and consumers alike have embraced the more convenient and engaging recycling experience that multi-feed reverse vending offers. Multi-feed returns are setting a new standard in how consumers recycle and it is exciting to see TOMRA R1 adopted in so many locations.

Jonas Døvik Product Manager for multi-feed solutions

At last year’s EuroShop, the world’s largest retail trade fair, TOMRA unveiled a new multi-feed concept, suitable for a wider range of stores, of all sizes. The next generation to follow TOMRA R1 offers a smaller physical footprint and is compatible with all TOMRA backroom solutions for increased flexibility and store layout options. 

Image of multi-feed concept at EuroShop
Product Manager Jonas Døvik demonstrates the new multi-feed concept at the EuroShop trade fair
The locations of all TOMRA R1 reverse vending machines can be viewed on r1.tomra.com. TOMRA R1s are installed in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania and the United States.

 

About TOMRA Collection:

TOMRA Collection provides reverse vending machines for Clean Loop Recycling, to transform society’s habits and keep valuable resources in a continuous loop of use and reuse. The company’s solutions collect aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers to be continually reused and recycled back into new bottles and cans. With approximately 82,000 installations across more than 60 markets, TOMRA reverse vending machines capture over 45 billion used bottles and cans each year. This reduces reliance on raw materials, and ensures fewer containers end up in streets, oceans and landfills. TOMRA’s reverse vending machines, digital solutions and service make recycling easy for the industry, system owners, retailers and consumers to contribute to a more sustainable planet. Visit our Reverse Vending pages on tomra.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

TOMRA Collection is a division of TOMRA Group. Today, TOMRA is leading the resource revolution to transform how the planet’s resources are obtained, used and reused to enable a world without waste. The company’s other business divisions comprise TOMRA Food and TOMRA Recycling. The Group employs approximately 5,000 people globally and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.