Startup Borro states it has raised €1.3 million from investors to expand its digital deposit system for reusable cups further into the Netherlands, Germany and France this summer.
The company’s system aims to reduce waste and make reuse easier for event visitors and organizers by linking its reusable packaging to the user’s bank card. When returning a cup or container to a smart collection point, the user automatically receives their deposit back.
The investment round was supported by Seeder Fund, imec.istart, PMV, BlueSnipe and GS1. Borro states that millions of cups have already been processed through its system, currently active at Belgian football clubs such as Club Brugge and KV Mechelen.
The company recently joined Paris Saint-Germain’s innovation programme, PSG Labs, and is preparing to implement the system at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Apparently, there has also been growing interest from concert venues, amusement parks and festivals.
Borro founder Glenn Verhaege says: “We deliberately decided not to use RFID technology like many other systems. We wanted to build a solution that is simpler and more affordable. That’s why we developed an alternative based on invisible codes that can be read through cameras. We’re happy that we’ve now been able to prove that this also works at scale.”
In related news, Portugal has launched its national Deposit Return System (DRS) for ready-to-drink beverage packaging – introducing over 3,000 collection points, including baling capabilities at remote kiosk locations. Operated by SDR Portugal: Associação de Embaladores, it covers mainstream beverages sold in plastic, aluminium, or steel containers of less than 3L, including bottled water, energy drinks and beer.
TOMRA recently published a report outlining the five key factors behind the world’s highest-performing deposit return schemes (DRS) for drinks container recycling, also noting increasing public and policy demand to address plastic pollution, slow rising recycling costs and move towards circular economy models. TOMRA’s recommendations are based on DRS performance evidence, evaluating deposit systems against metrics such as return rate and the number of return locations per capita.
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