Helping large events ditch disposable cups
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This digital solution automates deposit refunds for an efficient circular economy
Spotted: In a bid to reduce plastic pollution, many single-use packaging options are being phased out around the world – including the disposable plastic cups used across thousands of festivals and sports matches every year. That means organisers need to embrace reusable alternatives, and Belgian startup Borro hopes to make this task as easy and cheap as possible.
Often, switching to circular container systems comes with a host of logistical difficulties. In fact, despite Belgian legislation banning the sale of drinks in disposable cups at large-scale events, world-renowned festival Tomorrowland chose to continue using single-use cups this year and face a €2 million fine, instead of going through the hassle of quickly switching to fully circular alternatives using the common deposit refund system – where customers get a small refund when they return a cup or container.
Borro wants to make it easy for events like Tomorrowland to embrace the reusable packaging movement, with a digital, app-less solution that automates deposit refunds and doesn’t charge organisers additional transaction fees. When customers go to pay at the bar, they get charged for both the drink and their cup, and the server scans a QR code on the side of the cup to link it with the customer’s payment card.
Once a customer has finished their drink, they return the cup to a self-service collection point where the QR code is automatically scanned, triggering a refund back to the visitor’s original payment card. This means that servers don’t need to go through the trouble of manually handing out cash refunds, and customers don’t need to wait in line to get their money back. Plus, it prevents deposit refund fraud, where individuals collect and return cups they didn’t originally pay.
Last month, Borro raised €350,000 in a funding round led by Seeder Fund and supported by Imec.istart and a group of private investors. The capital will help the new startup develop its technology and bring its solution to more customers across Belgium and beyond.
Written By: Matilda Cox