Deposits do not reconcile.
The deposit is charged at one till and refunded at a return machine across town. Matching the two by spreadsheet takes hours and still leaves gaps.
Q · A
What is reusable cup and takeaway tracking?
Reusable cup and takeaway tracking records every cup, bowl and meal box from the moment it goes out with an order until it is washed and back at a venue. In Rotion each item carries its own QR code, RFID tag or barcode, so the deposit is charged and refunded on scans. Collection crates carry a code too, and one scan of a full crate books every item in it to the place it came from.
- A unique code on every item
- Deposits and refunds on scans
- One crate scan books every item to its pickup point
01The problem
Why reuse schemes leak.
Reuse schemes fail on logistics. Deposits leak, returns pile up in the wrong place, and nobody sees the loop as a whole.
Return points overflow.
Items pile up at one return point while the next venue runs short. Without stock per point, collection runs come too late.
Events drain the pool.
One festival weekend can move more cups than a month of regular trade. Without a count, you only see the loss when stock runs out.
02Deposits
One cup, one deposit, every scan.
The till charges the deposit, the return refunds it to the bank card, and each venue’s week nets out on its own statement.
Cup, 400 mlCUP-0417-2291At a venue- Code, QR
- CUP-0417-2291
- Type
- Cup, 400 ml
- Wash cycle
- 38
- Current holder
- Venue 12
Scans on this item
Issued at the till, Venue 31+€1.00 charged at tillDay 1 · 12:04
Returned at Return machine 07Day 1 · 16:40The customer needs no app and scans nothing.
-€1.00 refunded to bank card
Crate CR-0512 scanned at Point 071 scan · 120 items to Point 07Day 1
In at Wash Hub NorthWash cycle 37 to 38Day 2 · 07:15
Out to Venue 12Holder: Venue 12Day 2 · 11:30
Deposit statementThis week, per venue
€1.00 per itemVenue 31Campus South canteenCharged€1,240Refunded€410Net+€830
Return machine 07LibraryCharged€0Refunded€960Net-€960
The net settles per venue.
Return rate this month93.4%
Rotion records and nets deposits. It does not move money.
03Platform
Built for reuse schemes.
Everything a scheme operator, caterer or venue group needs to run reusable cups and takeaway packaging. Pick a feature to see it.
Explore the platform
Deposits and refundsStock per venue and pointReturn rates and lossesReuse reporting Autopilot Deposit statementReady to send
Q3 2026 · Customer 14
Issued4,820
Returned4,571
Open or lost249 × € 5.00 per unit
Balance due€ 1,245.00
Send statementExport PDFBacked by 9,391 scans
Balance per customerAll regions · last 30 days
| Customer | Out | Back | Open | Dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store 2214 Ghent | 1,240 | 1,196 | 44 | 5 d |
| Customer 14 | 860 | 648 | 212 | 21 d |
| DC Zellik | 2,310 | 2,287 | 23 | 2 d |
| Grower Hoogstraten | 1,580 | 1,531 | 49 | 7 d |
| Store 0917 Leuven | 640 | 611 | 29 | 6 d |
Open total · items357 · € 1,785 deposit value
Anomalies this week Autopilot
High
StockpilingRetailer 3 DC holds 1,140 more than its 90-day average
ReviewMedium
Breakage spikeFiller 07 damage rate 3.1%, usually 0.8%
ReviewLow
Slow returnsCarrier West average return 18 days
ReviewPPWR reuse reportPPWR
2026 Q3 · all customers
Reuse rate93.4%
Cycles per asset14.2
Rotations1.2 M
| Customer | Rotations | Reuse |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer 3 | 412,300 | 94.1% |
| Filler 07 | 288,100 | 92.7% |
| Grower co-op 2 | 196,400 | 95.3% |
Export reportCSV · PDF · API
Field results from operators running Rotion across pools, retail and industry.
28%
S.01fewer assets lost
9%
S.02smaller fleet needed
575,310
S.03assets tracked
Trusted by these organizations.
04Field notes
What reuse data shows.
Return friction decides return rates.
Where return points stand and how fast a return takes affect return rates more than the deposit amount. Per-point data shows where returns stall.
Takeaway rules ask for a real system.
Under PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40), takeaway sellers must accept customers’ own containers from 12 February 2027 and offer a reusable option within a system for reuse from 12 February 2028. That system has to collect, clean and document.
Wash logistics set the pace.
Items earn nothing in a washing queue. Throughput per wash hub shows whether the limit is capacity, collection timing or sorting.
05PPWR
What PPWR asks of takeaway, and what you can show.
Three takeaway dates in Regulation (EU) 2025/40, and the record that answers each.
Feb 12, 2027Article 32Accept the customer’s own container.No extra charge, clear signage.
Applies toAll sellers, micro-enterprises included.
Your evidenceAt the counterSignage and pricing.
Feb 12, 2028Art. 33 · Annex VIOffer a reusable option in a system for reuse.Collect, clean, inspect, redistribute, document.
Applies toSellers. Micro-enterprises exempt.
Your evidenceRecord in RotionPer-item scans, exportable report.
- Collected
- Washed
- Redistributed
- Documented
Jan 1, 2030TargetAim for 10% of takeaway in reusables.An obligation of effort.
Applies toSellers.
Your evidenceRecord in RotionReusable share of sales, from issue scans.
Run more than one asset type?
Q.01Do we need a code on every cup?
Yes. Every cup, bowl or box carries its own QR code, RFID tag or barcode, because a deposit is only safe when it belongs to one item. Collection crates carry a code too, so you scan a full crate once instead of every item in it.
Q.02Does Rotion work with our POS?
Yes. Rotion integrates with POS systems, and most common ones have an API. Deposits can be charged and refunded through your own tills and payment terminals, or refunded through the terminals on Rotion return machines.
Q.03Do customers need an app?
No. The till scans the item at issue and the return machine scans it at return. The wash hub scans the crates again at drop-off and pickup.
Q.04What do the PPWR takeaway rules require?
Takeaway sellers must accept customer-brought containers from 12 February 2027 and offer reusable packaging within a system for reuse from 12 February 2028, with micro-enterprises exempt from the second duty. From 2030 they should aim for 10% of takeaway sales in reusable packaging. See the PPWR takeaway rules for detail.
Q.05Can a small initiative start?
Yes. Rotion Starter fits small initiatives at one location, from 150 euros a month with 14 days free. A scheme with more items, several venues or a POS integration starts on Launch.
Q.06Do events run in the same system?
Yes. Festivals and events run on the same items, return points and wash hubs as regular trade, so an event weekend shows up in the same stock and return rates.
