Copenhagen Zoo introduces reusable deposit cups to reduce single-use waste

Visitors to Copenhagen Zoo will soon encounter reusable deposit cups as part of a new initiative aimed at reducing single-use waste and resource consumption.

The zoo is currently rolling out the system, allowing guests to return their cups after use at deposit stations located throughout the zoo. The project is being carried out as part of the Partnership for Takeaway Packaging and the New Loop concept.

Initially, 10 deposit stations will be installed across the zoo. Visitors can either receive their deposit back or choose to donate the amount to the zoo and its nature conservation work.

According to Copenhagen Zoo, conservation is also about the choices people make in everyday life – including how food and drinks are served to visitors.

“We work every day to create a greater understanding of nature and our shared responsibility for the planet. That is why it makes sense for us to implement solutions that make sustainable choices tangible for our visitors. Reusable deposit cups are a small part of each guest’s visit, but on a large scale they can help significantly reduce single-use waste and resource consumption,” says Copenhagen Zoo CEO Pernille Wendel Mehl.

Before the project was launched, behavioural analyses were conducted to help make it easy for visitors to choose and return reusable packaging.

The cups can be returned at the zoo, but the system will also be connected to the wider return infrastructure in Frederiksberg and Copenhagen, allowing them to be returned at other locations as well.

The pilot project will also provide valuable experience with how reusable packaging works in a major attraction with many visitors.

New Loop is responsible for the project’s physical and digital infrastructure, including reusable packaging, return machines and digital deposit handling.

“If reusable packaging is to make an impact, it must work in places where many people gather, eat, drink and move on. Copenhagen Zoo is a recognised cultural institution with a focus on responsible behaviour, making it an interesting place to observe exactly that,” says Anders Barsøe, CEO of New Loop.

The project aims to demonstrate how reusable packaging can serve as an alternative to single-use packaging at attractions, cafés, takeaway locations and events.