Smart DRS launched at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in Slovakia at the end of April. Eight automated return stations were installed across venues in Bratislava and Trencin, processing more than 44,300 reusable cups during 29 games.
The system was subsequently deployed at two major summer music festivals.
LOVESTREAM Festival recorded the largest festival volume so far, with 42,600 cups returned over three days. The event attracted more than 100,000 visitors and used nine Smart DRS Dual stations, providing 18 individual return points across the site.
Grape Festival followed with seven Dual stations and 28,500 cup returns during its three-day run. That represented approximately 9,500 returns per day, with visitors returning just over two cups per transaction on average.
Across the two festivals, more than 71,000 reusable cups were processed.
Users return eligible cups at an automated station before receiving their deposit directly to a payment card or supported contactless device. The process does not require an app, user registration, paper voucher or cash reimbursement. Deposits were set at EUR 3 per cup at LOVESTREAM and EUR 2 at Grape.
For event operators, removing cash and paper vouchers from the return process could simplify some aspects of on-site cup management, particularly where large numbers of visitors attempt to return packaging within short periods.
The deployments also provide useful transaction data around volumes and peak return periods. Those figures may help venues determine how many collection points are needed and where they should be positioned.
Return numbers alone, however, do not demonstrate whether automation delivers a lower total operating cost. Any comparison with staffed collection points would also need to consider equipment investment, maintenance, transaction costs, staffing savings, cup losses and overall return rates.
Since mid-July, Smart DRS has also been operating at Tyrsak, a seasonal riverside leisure venue on the Danube in Bratislava. Two stations are averaging 618 reusable cup returns per day.
The deployment differs from the short, high-volume environment of a festival or sports tournament. Rather than handling a surge of transactions over several days, seasonal equipment must remain accessible and operational over a longer period.
That distinction is likely to matter for businesses evaluating automated reusable packaging systems.
Longer deployments can provide more information on maintenance requirements, system availability and transaction patterns while showing whether automation can reduce the need for dedicated return staff during normal venue operations.
For operators of leisure destinations, foodservice areas, entertainment venues and other sites using reusable packaging, those operational factors may ultimately be more important than the maximum number of cups a machine can process during a major event.
Smart DRS combines packaging verification with direct-to-card deposit reimbursement, while its reporting tools give operators data on return numbers, transactions and peak usage periods. The model is designed to reduce manual handling associated with traditional staffed return points, although its commercial case will vary by venue and transaction volume.
The company is also preparing to apply the technology to single-use deposit return schemes. Its first deployment in that area is expected in September 2026.
That move will present a different test. Festivals and controlled venues operate within relatively contained environments, whereas national or regional deposit return schemes typically require convenient collection across a much wider network.
If Smart DRS can transfer its automated payment and verification model to that setting, it could provide an additional collection format alongside conventional reverse vending machines. Its performance in the next phase should offer a clearer indication of where the technology fits within the wider deposit-return market.
