Recyclers in Finland can for the first time ever pour over 100 empty beverage containers into a reverse vending machine in one go, rather than inserting them one by one, following today’s launch in the country of the Tomra R1 by global reverse vending leader Tomra.
Finland is the first new market to introduce the Tomra R1 “multi-feed” reverse vending solution since the original launch of the product in Norway, Sweden and the US in November. In total, 29 Tomra R1s are now live in stores and redemption facilities across the four countries, with several more to be installed shortly. The solution makes its Finnish debut at the supermarket K-Citymarket Tammisto in the city of Vantaa. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, K-Citymarket Tammisto has the first Tomra R1 that operates 24/7.
Tailored to larger supermarkets and return locations receiving high volumes of drink containers, Tomra R1 offers a more user-friendly and convenient recycling experience. This can attract store visitors and a greater volume of containers returned, leading to increased loyalty among recyclers and revenues for retailers. Tomra R1 provides mess-free recycling, as there is no need to handle each bottle – so consumers can do their part for the environment without getting their hands sticky.
“Beverage container return is significantly faster and easier with the new Tomra R1. The best thing about it is that empty containers no longer need to be handled, but can be poured directly into the reverse vending machine. This is a great and customer-friendly machine. All recyclers need to do is pour empty drink containers into the reverse vending machine, take their receipt, and start shopping. I believe that the Tomra R1 will attract customers to us and make returning containers even easier,” says Kimmo Sivonen, store owner at K-Citymarket Tammisto.
“The multi-feed concept fundamentally transforms the recycling experience, and enables stores and redemption centers to offer the best recycling experience and truly wow their customers,” explains Lauri Kangaslahti, Managing Director for Tomra in Finland. “The rapid return of containers at Tomra R1 make it even more convenient and motivating to recycle empty drink containers. Finnish recyclers can save the planet, one bottle at a time… or, in this case, over 100 bottles at a time.”
How does it work?
Recyclers simply open the lid on the Tomra R1 and pour in their empty cans and plastic bottles, and close the hatch to begin the counting and sorting process. They then collect their deposit refund voucher and start shopping. Ineligible containers are returned via the reject chute.
Tomra R1 is also intuitive to use, reduces queues, and offers efficient and fast recycling. 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. Attractive recycling results in more store visits and spending
The multi-feed Tomra R1 first began testing in stores in Nordic markets from 2016. Stores registered up to 60% more consumer recycling sessions compared to the year before, and up to 218% higher container volumes. Recyclers have arrived with trailers full of containers, driven past other stores in order to use Tomra R1, and tagged family and friends on social media encouraging them to try it out. Making recycling easy for consumers also enables retailers to boost their own commitments to sustainability. See the full case study with test store MaxiMat Töcksfors in Sweden.
With an accessible product design, the new Tomra R1 is also easy for retailers to clean and maintain. Tomra R1 is the first reverse vending machine with a backroom-facing operator screen located inside the machine, so store personnel have at their fingertips all the information they need for operating and maintaining the Tomra R1.
