Giving new life to vending cups

Circular economy enters the vending world thanks to RiVending, a virtuous recovery and recycling system for plastic cups and stirrers (PS), as well as PET bottles from vending machines. The project is promoted by CONFIDA – Italian Vending Association, COREPLA – National Consortium for Plastic Packaging Collection and Recycling, and UNIONPLAST – National Union of Plastic Processing Industries.
How it works

The recovery process

Dedicated collection

A special container for plastic cups and stirrers is placed next to the vending machine. The lid, with openings of different sizes and internal tubes, helps stack the cups, reducing waste volume by over 150% compared to generic plastic collection.



01

A single, recyclable material

Vending cups and stirrers are made from compact polystyrene, a single type of plastic that is easy to wash and recycle. Any beverage residue can be removed without contamination, allowing efficient mechanical recycling into flakes or pellets ready for new production.
02

Simpler, higher‑quality recycling

Ri‑Vending optimizes the recovery process, ensuring high‑quality plastic at the start of the production chain. This eliminates the need for costly sorting steps and intensive industrial washing.




03

The Circular Life of the Cup

The final goal is to transform a used cup into a new one, creating an efficient circular economy model. Ri‑Vending is a “zero‑waste” program: all collected plastic is fully recycled and reintroduced into the production cycle.



04

Ri-Vending