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A return and reward station that makes giving back reusable packaging as fast as throwing it away
A Portuguese startup building reusable packaging systems partnered with FullCycle to turn a working concept into an industrially viable return and reward station. The Smart Bin is designed for high-traffic public spaces such as universities, company campuses and stadiums, where returning a cup or container has to be as fast and intuitive as throwing it away.
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A Portuguese startup building reusable packaging systems partnered with FullCycle to turn a working concept into an industrially viable return and reward station. The Smart Bin is designed for high-traffic public spaces such as universities, company campuses and stadiums, where returning a cup or container has to be as fast and intuitive as throwing it away.
The challenge was to design a return station for reusable packaging that is fast, intuitive and tough enough for stadium crowds. Each item had to be returned in under three seconds, with users identified and reimbursed through multiple methods (RFID, cards, MB Way and QR codes). The station had to resist weather, impacts and tampering, be easy to maintain, follow a modular manufacturing design and stay cost-effective to produce at scale.
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An integrated station that combines an accessible front interface (8” screen, RFID scanner, QR code reader and card payment terminal) with a sensor-driven door that opens when a valid item is detected. For the people who operate it, full bags detach in under two seconds and slide onto a custom cart, so no one lifts 240 L bags, and a single secure door gives access to every internal area. The door reopens automatically if it meets an obstruction, and locking points prevent tampering. The electronics sit in a sealed, actively ventilated compartment, and the structure is built for IP65 and IK10 standards.
The challenge was to design a return station for reusable packaging that is fast, intuitive and tough enough for stadium crowds. Each item had to be returned in under three seconds, with users identified and reimbursed through multiple methods (RFID, cards, MB Way and QR codes). The station had to resist weather, impacts and tampering, be easy to maintain, follow a modular manufacturing design and stay cost-effective to produce at scale.
An integrated station that combines an accessible front interface (8” screen, RFID scanner, QR code reader and card payment terminal) with a sensor-driven door that opens when a valid item is detected. For the people who operate it, full bags detach in under two seconds and slide onto a custom cart, so no one lifts 240 L bags, and a single secure door gives access to every internal area. The door reopens automatically if it meets an obstruction, and locking points prevent tampering. The electronics sit in a sealed, actively ventilated compartment, and the structure is built for IP65 and IK10 standards.
