Tomra, the Norwegian reverse vending pioneer and sorting specialist, has developed the Tomra R1, a fully automated reverse vending solution that makes the recycling by consumers of large volumes of empty drink containers fast and convenient.
The new Express returns concept allows people to tip over 100 empty drink containers into the machine in one go, without having to manually handle each container. Consumers don't have to wait for their deposit slip but can leave the TOMRA R1 while the machine is still processing the containers. The deposit refund is forwarded electronically once the machine has finished processing the returns.
Tests with the new system showed an up to 60% increase in the number of consumer recycling sessions compared to the year before, and up to 218% more containers returned.
As Harald Henriksen, head of TOMRA Collection Solutions described it, Tomra R1 with Express returns is like the 'self-driving car of container recycling'.
"Hands-free, mess-free and wait-free, this fundamentally transforms the way people recycle,” he said.
TOMRA R1 is available to order in Norway and Sweden, and will roll out to Germany and other markets in the months ahead.
Shoppers' deposit refunds can be paid out electronically as a digital voucher to be redeemed in the store on their grocery bill. Paperless payout has an added environmental benefit and is more convenient for both consumers and retailers.
The Express system can be integrated with retailers’ existing apps and loyalty programmes or included in the myTomra app, developed by the company for extending the value of using and owning a reverse vending machine
As well as digital payout of deposits, the myTOMRA app can show users a map overview of their nearest reverse vending machines, as well as whether those machines are currently open and available. Users can also log into a personal recycling session at the reverse vending machine to track their recycling progress and achievements.