Reuse at big events: lessons from Mainz

At the Mainzer Weinmarkt, mainzplus, Rent.Group, koziol and CircleCube run reusable tableware with automated returns at eight machines on the festival grounds.

What large events need

• Fast returns. Guests only use reuse when handing back a plate takes seconds.
• No dishwashing for stallholders. The machines sort the returned items and pass them on to logistics and central cleaning.
• Traceable items. The plates and bowls carry an RFID tag, so every piece can be followed from the stall to the machine and into the dishwasher.

What the test run showed

At the Mainzer WeinUfer in May 2026 with more than 70,000 visitors, the organiser reports around 10,000 single-use containers and one tonne of residual waste avoided. The test also gave us data on speed and reliability.

Read more in our news post on the project.