Click on the plus-sign buttons in the accompanying diagram for further information about each component.
TOMRA, or a designated partner, maintains the ordering and delivery system for the reusable packaging to retail outlets, as well as the collection of all returned items from the collection points.
TOMRA, or a designated partner, is responsible for the sanitization and quality assurance of all the reusable packaging used in the system.
The use of a shared infrastructure of automated collection points where reusable packaging from all participating providers can be returned 24/7 is the cornerstone of our city solution, offering user convenience for both consumers and retail partners alike.
Our secure digital platform serves as the clearing system for the financial incentive used to encourage the return of the reusable packaging; tracks the number of times each reusable packaging item is circulated, providing transparency on the environmental performance of the system; and prevents any attempts to cheat or abuse the financial return incentive, ensuring the overall integrity of the system.
Each package in the system has a unique digital code that is activated for the financial return incentive when it is delivered to retailers. This is the basis of our open managed system (OMS) for reusable packaging -- the possibility for different packaging providers to use the same shared infrastructure for collecting the reusable packaging as long as the packaging has a unique id and the physical properties of the packaging comply with our system requirements.
A circulation fee is added to each packaging item when it is ordered by retailers to offset the system costs associated with the solution.
TOMRA’s Rotake system now accepts reusable food boxes, bowls and cups — and refunds deposits instantly to consumers’ mobile wallets or credit cards.
TOMRA Unveils Automated Collection Point for Reusable Takeaway Food Packaging
One year in, the world’s first city-wide platform for reusable takeaway packaging in Aarhus, Denmark demonstrates that it is possible to combine convenience on the go with more circular practices. The most heavily circulated REUSEABLE cups have so far completed an impressive 33 loops of reuse.
Read more about the project one-year in
A groundbreaking initiative for reusable takeaway packaging was launched on January 17, 2024 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Read more about the Aarhus pilot launch