Tomra collection’s successful recycling initiatives at summer festivals
Tomra Collection has played a key role in promoting recycling at summer festivals across Europe, turning these large gatherings into opportunities for environmental progress. These festivals, which attract thousands of young people, often result in significant amounts of beverage consumption and waste. Tomra Collection’s active participation has helped mitigate this issue by integrating reverse vending machines (RVMs) into the festival ecosystem.
To ensure the successful collection and recycling of empty packaging, Tomra’s fast, reliable, and user-friendly RVMs were strategically placed at key locations within festivals in Serbia, Germany, Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. By making the return process for empty beverage containers simple and enjoyable, Tomra aimed to increase participation in recycling.
From burgers to music in Serbia
During European summer season, Tomra Collection Serbia partnered with several major festivals, such as the EXIT festival in Novi Sad, Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac, Burger Fest in Belgrade, Lovefest in Vrnjačka Banja, and the Festival of Healthy Spirit in Ovčar Banja. These partnerships demonstrate the essential need to manage the high volumes of waste generated at such events.
At the EXIT festival, Tomra Collection Serbia collaborated with partners like Ball Corporation, Heineken, Coca-Cola, Ekostar Pak, and Solagro Smart Recycling under the Green Exit platform. With the help of 35 promoters and a Tomra M1 reverse vending machine, half a ton of empty beverage packaging was collected over four days, amounting to over 40,000 containers sent for recycling. This was a significant increase from the previous year, largely driven by a reward system where every five pieces of collected packaging earned a free drink.
Jelena Petljanski, Sustainability and Public Affairs Manager for Central, Eastern Europe, and Turkey at Ball Corporation echoed the positive trend of increased recycling:“We believe that used packaging represents a resource, not waste, and therefore advocate for its proper disposal. This year about 15,000 used beverage cans were collected, a 30% increase from last year and a 300% increase compared to 2022, which proved a great success. This confirms that we are contributing to environmental protection and proving that it is possible to operate in line with the principles of circularity.”
At Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac, the Tomra S1 machine became key part of the festival, thanks to its simplicity and effective collaboration with partners. Bojana Milašinović, Managing Director, Tomra Collection Serbia and Montenegro, highlighted the importance of their presence at such events:
“We are especially pleased when we can be present at festivals as ambassadors and promote the importance of recycling and waste reduction, ensuring containers are collected responsibly, rather than ending up in streets, rivers, oceans, or landfills”.
Similarly, at the Burger festival in Belgrade, Tomra Collection Serbia, in collaboration with Sekopak and The Coca-Cola Company, motivated visitors to recycle by offering vouchers for Coca-Cola Zero in exchange for returning their empty beverage containers. This initiative allowed many people to experience Tomra technology firsthand and appreciate the simplicity and benefits of recycling.
The effectiveness of Tomra’s initiatives extended to sports-based festivals such as the Belgrade Marathon and the Festival of Healthy Spirit in Ovčar Banja. The presence of reverse vending machines at these events facilitated the collection of empty beverage packaging, promoting sustainability among participants.
Film festival in Sarajevo
Through the support of our distributor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tomra Collection was present during the Youth Film Festival (OFF) in Sarajevo. OFF 2024 was committed to raising environmental awareness by incorporating Tomra reverse vending machines at the event. The collaboration aimed to encourage society to adopt better recycling habits.
The initiative provided festivalgoers with the opportunity to dispose of their used plastic bottles and cans in a simple and responsible way. To motivate participation, people were rewarded for their efforts in recycling and in environmental protection. The collected bottles and cans were taken for recycling in cooperation with EKOPAK, the operator of the packaging waste management system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to be used as a resource in the circular economy.
The conclusion from this summer’s festivals is clear: these events provide an excellent opportunity for education and recycling, bringing the concept of circularity closer to the wider public. Young people have shown a positive attitude towards protecting the environment, with reward systems proving highly effective in motivating them to recycle. Thanks to good partnerships and organization collaboration, this year’s summer festivals are helping transform waste into a valuable resource.
