Sumitomo Corporation Pilot Project: Vending machine designed for reusable bottles

Vending machine designed for reusable bottles... Pilot project complete! 🚀

Thank you to everyone who came to the pilot project last week in Tokyo, held by Sumitomo Corporation in collaboration with Social Innovation Japan’s sustainability platform “mymizu”.

This was an experiment for a new kind of Vending Machine, to see if shoppers at supermarkets would buy beverages for their reusable cups and bottles, with the aim of reducing waste from single-use drinks containers.

It was great to see lots of positive reactions (e.g. "I'd been waiting for this kind of service" and "This could be a game-changer"!), as well as lots of demand from shoppers at the National Azabu supermarket for juice, tea and other beverages for their own bottles.

We look forward to continuing to explore this path towards a more sustainable future for the Beverage Industry.