Tomra Reuse has installed two automated reusable cup return machines at Freiburg Central Station in Germany, creating a new return point for consumers using Recup cups in one of the city’s busiest transport hubs. The system allows users to return cups at any time without visiting a counter, with the deposit refunded immediately to their digital payment method.

The project brings together Tomra Reuse’s physical return infrastructure and digital platform with Recup, one of Germany’s established reusable packaging systems for foodservice businesses. While the machines currently accept Recup cups, Tomra says the infrastructure could be extended in the future to support other reusable packaging formats.

The installation is significant because reuse systems depend heavily on convenience. Consumers may support the idea of reusable packaging, but adoption can weaken when returns are limited to specific shops, opening hours or manual counter interactions. By placing automated return machines inside a central train station, Tomra and Recup are testing a model that makes reuse easier to fit into everyday mobility patterns.

Reusable packaging can only scale when return infrastructure becomes as simple, visible and reliable as the single-use systems it is designed to replace.

Freiburg is the first city in Germany to integrate automated returns into an existing reusable packaging environment. The city has also introduced a single-use packaging tax for meal containers and beverage cups, increasing pressure on businesses and consumers to shift toward reusable alternatives. In this context, additional return points can help make the policy more practical and less dependent on individual store participation.

For consumers, the process is designed to be straightforward. A used Recup cup can be placed into the machine, which recognises the item and triggers the refund digitally. This removes friction from the return journey and supports spontaneous use, particularly for commuters, students, tourists and regional travellers passing through the station.

According to Tomra Reuse, the aim is to show that automated systems can improve the performance and integrity of reusable packaging networks. Automation can help reduce manual handling, provide clearer tracking of returned items and improve confidence that deposits are processed accurately. These factors are important for both consumers and foodservice operators.

The location at Freiburg Central Station also reflects the role of transport hubs in circular packaging systems. Stations concentrate large numbers of people who buy drinks on the move, often outside the same location where the cup was originally purchased. A return point in this setting increases network density and helps reuse work across city borders, rather than remaining tied to a single café or neighbourhood.

Recup CEO Phillip Goos said Freiburg demonstrates how the company’s network can be expanded with additional infrastructure in high-demand areas. Central stations bring together people travelling into and out of the city, making them ideal locations for reusable packaging systems that must function beyond individual retail sites.

• Greater convenience: returns can be made without counter service or store opening-hour restrictions.
• Immediate refund: deposits are credited directly through a digital payment method.
• Scalable infrastructure: the platform could support additional reusable packaging formats in future.

For cities, the project highlights an important lesson. Promoting reusables or making single-use packaging more expensive may not be enough on its own. Consumers need accessible infrastructure and clear financial incentives so that reusable packaging becomes a normal part of daily life. Automated return systems can help close that gap.

The initiative also points to a broader trend in packaging: reuse is moving from isolated pilot schemes toward more structured urban infrastructure. As regulations on single-use packaging expand, cities, foodservice providers and technology suppliers will need return systems that are convenient, data-enabled and capable of operating at scale.

Tomra Reuse’s deployment in Freiburg shows how automated deposit return technology could become a key enabler for reusable foodservice packaging. If the model proves successful, similar machines could be placed in stations, campuses, shopping centres and event venues, helping reusable cups and containers compete more effectively with disposable formats.