Since its first live deployment at the end of April, Smart DRS has now processed more than 150,000 reusable cup returns across international sport, major music festivals, cultural events and continuous seasonal operation.
The largest deployments to date include more than 44,300 returns at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, 42,600 at LOVESTREAM and 28,500 at Grape. The two summer festivals alone accounted for more than 71,000 cup returns.
The technology has also moved beyond one-off events. Since mid-July, two Smart DRS stations have been operating throughout the summer at Tyrsak, a popular riverside leisure destination on the Danube in Bratislava. The stations process an average of 618 reusable cup returns per day, demonstrating how automated returns can work in continuous seasonal operation as well as during concentrated high-volume events.
More than 71,000 returns at LOVESTREAM and Grape
At LOVESTREAM Festival, which welcomed more than 100,000 visitors over three days and featured Robbie Williams and David Guetta among its headliners, nine Smart DRS Dual stations provided 18 return points across the site. Visitors returned 42,600 reusable cups.
Only days later, seven Dual stations at Grape Festival processed another 28,500 reusable cup returns during the three-day event - an average of 9,500 cups per day. Visitors returned slightly more than two cups per transaction on average.
At both festivals, visitors inserted an eligible reusable cup and used a payment card or supported contactless device to receive the deposit back to their account. No app or user registration was required. The deposit was EUR 3 per cup at LOVESTREAM and EUR 2 at Grape.
"We wanted visitors to spend as little time as possible thinking about returning their cups and as much time as possible enjoying the festival. The automated return stations worked very well in this respect - the process was quick, simple and intuitive. The number of cups returned is a great result for us and, above all, a strong indication that visitors embraced this way of returning their cups naturally," said Erika Barkolova, LOVESTREAM Festival Manager.
From first live deployment to real-world scale
Smart DRS made its live debut at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in Slovakia at the end of April. Eight automated return stations operated across arenas in Bratislava and Trencin during 29 games, processing more than 44,300 reusable cup returns. The technology therefore entered live operation directly in the demanding environment of a multi-day international sporting championship.
Since then, it has expanded across different event formats and operating environments, including music and cultural events and longer-term venue operations. The return stations automatically verify eligible packaging and connect the return with direct-to-card deposit reimbursement. For visitors, this means the deposit is returned directly to a payment card or supported contactless device without cash, paper vouchers, an app or user registration. For organizers, the system reduces manual cup handling and cash-based refund processes while providing data on return volumes, transactions and peak periods.
Beyond reuse: Smart DRS for single-use Deposit Return Schemes
Smart DRS technology is also designed for single-use Deposit Return Schemes, where it can complement traditional collection infrastructure, such as Reverse Vending Machines, or operate as an independent and flexible collection method. The technology is expected to see its first deployment in this environment in September.