Two automated return machines from Tomra Reuse have been installed at Freiburg Central Station, marking the first integration of automated return technology into an existing urban reusable packaging system in Germany.

The machines, which operate in partnership with the reusable cup network Recup, allow consumers to return reusable cups without visiting a participating café, offering a new collection point within the city's established reuse infrastructure.

Freiburg has an established reusable packaging network, supported by a city-wide packaging tax on single-use items and a growing number of Recup partners. Until now, however, the city did not have automated return infrastructure at major public transport hubs.

Located at one of the region’s busiest transport hubs, the new machines enable commuters, residents and visitors to return Recup cups at any time. The units automatically identify eligible cups and provide an immediate deposit refund through the user’s digital payment method.

Phillip Goos, CEO of Recup, said the installation demonstrates how existing reusable systems can be strengthened through additional return infrastructure.

“Central stations are busy hubs: people from across the region come together here, travelling into or out of the city,” he said. “Reusables need to work as simply as possible, even across city borders.”

The project combines Tomra Reuse’s physical return machines with a digital platform designed to support reusable packaging systems. The infrastructure is intended to be interoperable, meaning it can be adapted to accept other reusable packaging formats in the future.

According to Tomra, automated return points can complement existing reuse networks by increasing the number of available collection locations and making reusable packaging more convenient for consumers.

Sven Hennebach, senior manager at Tomra Reuse, said the success of reusable systems depends on making returns as easy as the initial purchase.

“Promoting reusables or making single-use less attractive isn't enough,” he said. “The right infrastructure is needed so consumers can naturally integrate reusables into their daily lives.”

The Freiburg deployment follows Tomra Reuse’s city-wide return programme in the Danish city of Aarhus, where more than 30 return machines have been operating in public spaces since January 2024. The company said the network has processed almost two million returns and achieved a return rate of 89% over the past year.