Latest news with #TOMRA
Euronews
03-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Lisbon launches citywide reusable cup scheme to cut plastic waste
Every night, around 25,000 cups are used in Lisbon's entertainment areas. Although many cups are sold as "reusable", until now there was no system in place to ensure the effective collection, cleaning and recirculation of these containers. Through a new citywide reusable cup system, supported by a local deposit and return model, Lisbon has become the first European capital to implement an initiative that aims to combat plastic waste, reduce emissions and introduce a smart reuse model in the city's restaurant sector and bustling nightlife. The first return points operated by TOMRA have been in operation in two of the city's historic kiosks since 27 June. One in Praça de São Paulo and the other in Praça do Príncipe Real. Consumers receive their drinks in reusable cups upon payment of a deposit. This is fully refunded upon return, simply by touching their card or mobile phone to the collection point. Full implementation of the reusable cup system is scheduled for October 2025. The innovative partnership was made between the Lisbon City Council, TOMRA and the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Services of Portugal (AHRESP). Policy with infrastructure The implementation of the system follows Lisbon City Council's 2024 regulation banning the use of disposable plastic cups - a bold measure that requires a robust infrastructure. With TOMRA's scalable technology and strong local buy-in, the city is aiming to make real progress on plastic waste. "Lisbon is committed to leading by example, promoting sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics and involving partners in a real change towards more conscious consumption habits," says Rui Cordeiro, Lisbon City Council's councillor for Waste and Circular Economy. "This is a concrete step towards building a culture of reuse in our city and inspiring other municipalities to follow suit." The participation of the catering sector is crucial to the system's success. AHRESP, Portugal's largest hotel and catering association, is supporting cafés, bars and nightclubs in integrating with this new reuse model. "This initiative represents a necessary change for the HORECA (hotel, restaurant, and café)sector, which is now playing an active and central role in the transition to a more circular economy," says Carlos Moura, chairman of the board of AHRESP. "The establishments gain not only a practical solution to respond to the new regulations, but also an opportunity to lead, with consumers, a sustainable and positive change of habits for the city of Lisbon." Live demonstration at MUDE The system was presented during the "Lisbon to Reuse" summit at the Museum of Design and Fashion (MUDE). Participants - including policy-makers, urban planners and environmental leaders - were able to experience how the system works, including the TOMRA return point and the reimbursement process. How does it work? Consumers receive drinks in reusable cups for a refundable deposit of €0.60. The cups can then be returned at TOMRA collection machines throughout the city. No registration is required - simply tap a card or mobile phone with contactless technology to receive the refund. TOMRA manages the logistics, sanitisation and redistribution of the cups, ensuring a continuous and efficient cycle By October, the city will introduce a standardised "Lisbon cup" for all participating bars and establishments in the central neighbourhoods, with 17 return points planned for the Baixa area.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Bathgate MP praises role of company in delivering national environmental goals
TOMRA, a global leader in reverse vending technology, hosted Kirsteen Sullivan MP at their Scottish storage and distribution centre, where she was welcomed by John Lee, TOMRA's Vice-President for Public Affairs UK and Ireland. MP Kirsteen Sullivan has praised the role of local innovation in delivering national environmental goals following a visit to TOMRA's UK hub in Bathgate. TOMRA, a global leader in reverse vending technology, hosted the Bathgate and Linlithgow MP at their Scottish storage and distribution centre, where she was welcomed by John Lee, TOMRA's Vice-President for Public Affairs UK and Ireland. The visit provided an in-depth look at TOMRA's multi-million-pound investment in the UK, including live demonstrations of reverse vending machines (RVMs) built for retailers of all sizes. Founded in Norway in 1972, TOMRA operates over 105,000 RVMs across more than 60 markets, collecting over 46 billion beverage containers each year. Their proven systems across Europe consistently achieve recycling return rates of 92% to 98%, offering a powerful solution to resource recovery and waste reduction. Kirsteen said: 'It's incredibly inspiring to see a global sustainability leader like TOMRA investing right here in Bathgate. The scale of their impact and ambition is matched by the strategic role this facility plays in the UK's journey towards Net Zero. 'Deposit Return Schemes are one of the most practical and effective tools we have to move towards a circular economy - helping individuals, businesses and governments to treat waste as a resource. 'Seeing the technology up close makes clear how transformative this system could be for communities across the UK.' John Lee, TOMRA's Vice-President for Public Affairs UK and Ireland, added: 'We were delighted to welcome Kirsteen to our distribution hub in Bathgate. 'The support of Members of Parliament is vital if DRS is to become a reality in 2027. Maintaining our presence in Bathgate will ensure we can provide an excellent service to our customers across the country and give us a base for the technical and support jobs which will be created in Scotland.' The UK Government has committed to launching a consistent, UK-wide DRS by October 2027, with a single deposit level across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. TOMRA's Bathgate operations are well-positioned to help make that vision a reality by creating local jobs to support a greener, more sustainable future.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TOMRA Collections North America drives service transformation through early adoption of IFS.ai
Global recycling leader leveraged Industrial AI embedded in IFS Cloud to achieve value fast, improving customer service and operational efficiency. NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the leading provider of enterprise cloud and Industrial AI software, announces that TOMRA Collections North America, a division of global recycling leader TOMRA, has achieved major operational and service performance gains since implementing IFS Cloud. TOMRA, known for capturing over 48 billion used beverage containers annually through its 85,000+ reverse vending machine installations worldwide, has long relied on IFS technology to manage its complex, large-scale field service operations. Following a strategic upgrade in 2023 to IFS Cloud, TOMRA has embraced a new era of agility, data-based intelligence, and ongoing value through its early adoption of At the heart of TOMRA's transformation is its field service organization—responsible for maintaining mission-critical equipment across diverse locations and climates. By standardizing systems, processes, and KPIs globally, and leveraging IFS Cloud's real-time visibility, TOMRA has significantly improved key service metrics. First-time fix rates now consistently reach 96–97%, up from 84%, and overall operational efficiency has grown by 27% since the company's initial deployment of IFS solutions. Jay Sethuraj, Vice President, Technology, TOMRA North America, commented: "Our initial investment in IFS helped us establish a baseline and improve operational efficiency, but IFS Cloud has taken us to another level, allowing us to continually redefine what operational excellence looks like. With evergreen updates, embedded AI innovation, and deep configuration options, we're able to adapt and evolve in real time." TOMRA's shift to IFS Cloud was fuelled by the need for an evergreen operating model—enabling the business to stay current with the latest functionality without disruptive upgrades. With updates now delivered incrementally, TOMRA can adopt new capabilities quickly, reducing update time within IFS Cloud from eight weeks to just six, and system downtime to just a matter of hours. Choosing configuration over customization has been key to this agility. "IFS Cloud gives us the flexibility to make the solution our own without the technical debt of custom code," added Sethuraj. "It's this balance that makes the evergreen approach not only possible, but practical." With IFS Cloud in place and TOMRA's own data available, the company implemented embedded AI features in IFS Cloud, for example the Copilot for Knowledge Search digital assistant and the What-If Scenario Explorer (WISE). These tools are transforming everything from technical troubleshooting to resource planning. Daniel Basile, VP of Field Service, TOMRA North America, said: "WISE allows us to simulate changes to planning and scheduling in real time and immediately assess the impact. It's like having a sandbox inside production. And with Copilot, our field technicians will soon have instant access to our technical knowledge base—cutting onboarding time in half and capturing the expertise of our most seasoned employees. Rather than an employee needing 30 minutes or an hour to sift through the information of an 800-page manual, they can ask a question and in seconds it will return the answer, what page(s) it's on, and links to any supporting documents. As a business, and with the help of IFS, we've moved from firefighting to foresight. That allows us to be more consistent, more strategic, and more valuable to our customers. And that's where the real impact happens." Christian Pedersen, Chief Product Officer, IFS, added: "IFS Cloud and give ambitious companies like TOMRA the agility, intelligence, and composability they need to thrive in a fast-changing world. Their commitment to continuous improvement, combined with our embedded AI capabilities and agents, is a blueprint for driving service innovation at scale. TOMRA is one of our Pioneer customers – organizations who want to be ahead of the curve adopting the latest releases of IFS Cloud. It is fantastic to see what they have achieved in a short period and we are proud to continue partnering with them to push the boundaries of industrial transformation." To ensure a smooth transition to the cloud, TOMRA is working with long-term partner Infosys to accelerate time to value and benefiting from its investment in IFS Success services – an engagement framework created to support customers in achieving their desired business outcomes. Daniel Basile said: "Leveraging IFS Success changes the dynamic of the relationship from one of a customer and provider to that of a partnership. With Success, we receive a more white-glove approach, but even more importantly, the Success team has gotten to know our business very well which gives them a true understanding of how IFS technology can best help TOMRA achieve its goals." IFS Press Contacts:EUROPE / MEA / APJ: Adam GillbeIFS, Director of Corporate & Executive CommunicationsEmail: AMERICA / LATAM: Mairi MorganIFS, Director of Corporate & Executive CommunicationsEmail: This information was brought to you by Cision View original content: SOURCE IFS
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola Machines Now Pay You for Empty Bottles
Imagine getting rewarded just for doing the right thing — that's what Coca-Cola is doing to fight plastic pollution and promote sustainable habits. The beverage giant is rolling out Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) that pay you back in points for every empty bottle you return. Coca-Cola's Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) are innovative recycling kiosks designed to encourage sustainable behavior by rewarding users for recycling empty beverage containers. Depending on the model, these machines accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans, scanning each item to verify its recyclability. Once accepted, the containers are compacted and stored for collection. Users earn reward points through a connected mobile app, which can be redeemed for discounts on Coca-Cola products or other incentives. This initiative promotes recycling and supports Coca-Cola's broader sustainability goals by integrating recycled materials back into the production cycle. It's a much-needed positive step for Coca-Cola, one of the world's largest plastic polluters. While RVMs themselves have a longer history (the first prototype by TOMRA was established in 1972), Coca-Cola'' specific initiative to incorporate them into their recycling and reward programs appears to have started in July 2018 during the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. These pilot machines were part of the company's 'World Without Waste' initiative, aiming to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells globally by 2030. The RVMs allowed visitors to deposit PET bottles or aluminum cans, with each item triggering a five-cent donation to Special Olympics Washington and providing participants with additional resources via text message. Shortly after, in the same month, Coca-Cola Great Britain partnered with Merlin Entertainments to launch a summer trial of RVMs at several UK theme parks, including Alton Towers Resort and LEGOLAND Windsor. These early implementations marked Coca-Cola's initial steps in integrating RVMs into public spaces, which have since expanded to various regions, including India. In India, the first RVM was installed in 2016. At that time, the benefits of using RVMs were mostly framed as societal contributions through charity and donations, rather than personal rewards. Several years later, RVMs can now be found across various regions in the country, and as of this writing, these machines personally reward recyclers with points that can be redeemed for perks. The most recent installations of RVMs in India were in Puri, Odisha. Installed by Biocrux India Pvt. Ltd., these machines are capable of compacting plastic bottles by up to 70%, storing as many as 800 bottles before collection. Users are rewarded with points for every bottle deposited through the Biocrux mobile app, which can be redeemed for discounts on Coca-Cola products. The collected plastic is responsibly recycled into new materials such as clothing, bags, and secondary packaging. Equipped with digital display screens, the machines also serve as platforms for environmental education and foster community involvement. A centralized dashboard enables remote monitoring of machine performance to ensure operational efficiency. During the project inauguration, Abhimanyu Behera, Executive Officer of Puri Municipality, emphasized the importance of collaboration: 'Maintaining cleanliness in Puri is a shared responsibility that requires strong collaboration between public and private stakeholders. We appreciate the efforts of Coca-Cola India and its partners in supporting waste management and recycling through technology and public participation. Initiatives like this not only enhance civic engagement but also set a precedent for other cities to follow.' Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director of Sustainability and CSR at Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, highlighted the collective nature of waste management: 'Waste management requires long-term collaboration between industry, citizens, and government. By introducing reverse vending machines in Puri, we're enabling people to take simple yet meaningful steps to make recycling part of everyday behaviour. This effort complements our ongoing public awareness campaign, Maidaan Saaf, which encourages collective responsibility and action around recycling and waste management.' These efforts align with Coca-Cola's global Partner to Collect ambition, which is a key element of its broader sustainability goals. The commitment focuses on strengthening packaging recovery by investing in effective collection systems and increasing the use of recycled materials in primary packaging. Sources: The Cool Down, Media Brief Read the original article on GEEKSPIN. Affiliate links on GEEKSPIN may earn us and our partners a commission.
