Aarhus pays locals to return reusable coffee cups, and it’s working

Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, has introduced an innovative scheme to combat takeaway waste—and it is already showing impressive results. In 2023 alone, over 700,000 reusable coffee cups were returned by residents. The initiative, officially launched in January 2024, has been a huge success within its first year. It forms part of a three-year pilot programme aimed at significantly reducing the use of disposable cups.

The system behind the success

The scheme uses deposit machines designed by Norwegian firm TOMRA. When locals return a cup, they receive five Danish crowns—approximately €0.70—as a reward. The simple incentive has proven effective, tapping into both environmental responsibility and financial motivation. The returned cups are then washed and recirculated.

Tackling takeaway waste head-on

REUSABLE

Simon Smedegaard Rossau from Aarhus Municipality explained the motivation behind the scheme, noting that waste analysis had revealed 45% of Aarhus’s waste consisted of takeaway packaging. Faced with this staggering statistic, the need for immediate action became evident. By targeting one of the most common forms of urban waste—coffee cups—the city has taken a significant step towards cleaner streets and reduced contributions to landfill.

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A model for Europe?

As the scheme continues, Aarhus hopes its success will inspire other cities across Europe to follow suit. The early results show that with a bit of creativity and the right infrastructure, even small rewards can drive big behavioural change.

If the momentum continues, reusable cup returns in Aarhus could easily exceed a million by the end of 2025—demonstrating that sustainability schemes can be both practical and popular.