Deposit return, no jargon.

Deposit return in 2 minutes

At the till you pay a little extra for your bottle or can. Bring it back empty and you get that amount back. Simple. But behind those few cents is a smart system.

• The producer chips in and puts a deposit logo on the packaging.
• The scheme operator, in the Netherlands Statiegeld Nederland, counts everything, handles the money and collects the packaging.
• The shop or return point takes the packaging back and gets paid for it: the handling fee.
• You get your deposit back, and the bottle becomes a bottle again.

Why does it work? Because an empty container is suddenly worth money. In countries with a mature system, nine out of ten containers or more simply come back. Clean and sorted, ready for recycling.

The weak spot is returning. If that’s a hassle, the bag stays in the shed. That’s why we bring the return point to where people already are.

Which machine suits my shop?

Choosing a reverse vending machine is like choosing a fridge: measure first, then buy. These five questions get you a long way.

• How much space do I have? A NOMAD stands on less than half a square metre. A big built-in machine often means a renovation.
• Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors saves floor space and nobody trips over it. The machine does need to handle rain, sun and frost.
• Is there power? No? Then it’s a battery-powered machine.
• How much comes in? A few hundred containers a day needs something different from a few thousand. The bigger the volume, the more storage you want.
• Who empties it, and how often? Compacting saves space, so you empty it less often.

Try the product finder: four questions, one recommendation →

Placing it outdoors? Keep it running

A return point outside the door is smart: no floor space lost and customers can use it after closing time too. But outdoors is no showroom. Here’s what to watch.

• Rain and splashes. A sealed housing, a covered insertion opening and a drain for leftover drips.
• Sun and heat. Preferably not in full afternoon sun. Electronics and sticky leftovers don’t like 40 degrees.
• Frost. A scanner and a terminal that keep working at minus five.
• Vandalism. Sturdy materials, nothing loose and a machine that reports when something’s wrong.
• Light and view. Well lit feels safe. A low machine keeps the view open.
• Neighbours. In a residential area? Set opening hours so nobody is crushing cans at midnight.

Pop it in was designed for outdoors from the very first sketch: outdoor-ready, web-connected and smart enough to raise the alarm in time.

From return point to customer magnet

Anyone returning a deposit is already at your shop. That’s an opportunity many shops miss.

• Place it smartly. At the entrance, not at the back of the stockroom. Visible is inviting.
• Make it quick. No queue, no breakdowns, no receipt to lose. Getting the deposit straight back on your bank card works best.
• Give a reason to walk in. A discount voucher in the wallet on your phone, for coffee or a treat, just inside.
• Show what it adds up to. "Together we’ve already collected 10,000 bottles" on a screen or poster works wonders.
• Measure it. How many people returning a deposit also buy something? With data you know for sure.

That’s how an obligation becomes a customer magnet.

What changes with the PPWR?

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is the new European regulation on packaging. For deposit return it mainly means this:

• Deposit return becomes the norm. By 2029 at the latest, EU countries must have a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and metal cans up to 3 litres. Only countries that already collect a lot separately without a deposit can get an exemption.
• The target is 90%. 90% of those bottles and cans must be collected separately.
• More countries, more return points. Countries without a system today will need to set up thousands of return points in a short time.

That’s exactly where a compact machine you can place without a renovation fits in. See where each country stands →