Successful Reusable Container Pilot by Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the Berlin Environmental Administration
Return machines in grocery stores make it easier to return reusable to-go cups.
For one year, a cross-system return program for Recup and Einfach Mehrweg was tested at Rewe stores in Berlin’s Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district. 95 percent of consumers rate the return process as convenient; 70 percent of food service establishments would like to see the program expanded. DUH calls for a nationwide mandatory take-back system for reusable takeout cups in food retail
The press release was first published on www.duh.de.
Reusable to-go cups can be returned across different systems via existing bottle return machines in supermarkets. The return process is technically feasible and has been well received by consumers. This is demonstrated by a twelve-month pilot project conducted by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transportation, Climate Protection, and the Environment, Rewe, Recup, Sykell, Profimiet, Sielaff, and Tomra in Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. More than 80 of Recup’s partner establishments and eight Rewe stores participated in the field test from March 10, 2025, to March 8, 2026, in the pilot area. At the Rewe stores, Recup reusable cups from nearby restaurants were accepted via existing bottle return machines. The deposit could be redeemed as usual via a deposit receipt. Return and professional cleaning were handled through the already established reusable infrastructure of the reusable packaging provider Sykell, which was used jointly for the first time in this pilot project. The Kühne Logistics University (KLU) provided scientific support for the project.
Barbara Metz, Federal Executive Director of the DUH: “Every day in Berlin, around two million pieces of single-use takeout packaging—such as coffee cups, burger boxes, and pizza boxes—are generated. Anyone who wants to effectively reduce the flood of single-use items and create cleaner cities must make reusable options the simplest and most convenient choice. That is exactly what our Berlin pilot project has proven: Returning reusable to-go containers via return machines works, is well-received, and fits seamlessly into existing daily routines. That is why we are calling on Federal Environment Minister Schneider to implement a nationwide mandatory return system for so-called pooled reusable systems in the food retail sector, which can serve as a building block for establishing a comprehensive reusable infrastructure.”
About 95 percent of the people surveyed in the pilot project rated returning containers via reverse vending machines as convenient. More than 80 percent said they were more likely to use reusable containers rather than single-use ones if they could return them at grocery stores.
Ute Bonde, Senator for Mobility, Transportation, Climate Protection, and the Environment for the State of Berlin: “The results of the Berlin pilot project make it clear that reusable containers are successful when their use and return are easily integrated into everyday life. For Berlin, this is an important insight on the path to a resource-efficient circular economy that establishes reusable containers as a natural part of everyday life.”
The returned Recup cups were transported, cleaned, and put back into circulation via the infrastructure of Sykell’s “Einfach Mehrweg” reusable system. A key factor in this was a common labeling standard for machine recognition. In light of the future labeling requirement for reusable packaging under the EU Packaging Regulation, the project partners believe the industry should agree on a uniform digital labeling system.
Michael Kappler, co-founder of Sykell: “For the first time in real-world operation, the project has confirmed that different reusable systems can use the same infrastructure for returns, logistics, and cleaning—and in doing so, even achieve significant efficiency gains. According to our calculations, this could reduce the circulation costs of reusable containers by up to 60 percent. This makes reusable packaging not only more environmentally sound but also more economical.”
Dr. Philipp Goos, Managing Director of Recup: “The Berlin project shows what’s possible when existing networks collaborate: Recup brings a strong brand and a deposit system that’s been tested throughout Germany, while Rewe provides the retail network—that’s the foundation on which cross-system returns can scale. Shared structures for returns, logistics, and cleaning can ease the burden on restaurants and make reusable containers more attractive. That’s why 70 percent of the restaurants surveyed would like to see an expansion of return options via reverse vending machines in retail stores.”
More Information:
- Report on the Berlin Reusable Container Pilot Program (PDF)
- Participating KLU researchers:
