Tomra revenues rise on deposit return scheme roll-outs

Poland was the principal growth driver, becoming Tomra's second-largest deposit market in Europe following the installation of approximately 7,000 of its reverse vending machines.

Tomra reported record quarterly revenues as the roll-out of deposit return schemes boosted demand for its reverse vending machines. Group revenue rose 25% year on year to €405 million in the second quarter of 2026. Revenue in the Collection division increased 45% to €246 million, supported by reverse vending machine installations in Poland, Portugal , Singapore and Romania.

New deposit markets contributed €69 million during the quarter, while established markets grew 15%, led by Australia and North America. Poland was the principal growth driver. The Norway-based machinery supplier said the country had become its second-largest deposit market in Europe following the installation of approximately 7,000 of its reverse vending machines.

Around 800 million beverage containers have been returned through the equipment since the system launched. “Installation of RVMs in Poland peaked in the quarter, contributing to all-time high revenues for Tomra Group,” said CEO Tove Andersen. Tomra expects activity around new deposit return schemes to remain high, supported in Europe by the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

The United Kingdom and Moldovia will launch their DRS in 2027; Greece and Spain also passed DRS regulation into law but are yet to announce a launch date. Plastics recycling slows down Tomra’s performance was weaker in the Recycling division, where revenue declined 11% to €51 million following lower order volumes during the previous year. The company pointed particularly to reduced activity in European plastics recycling and waste-recovery projects in North America.

Recycling order intake recovered by 40% to €58 million, marking its first year-on-year increase in more than a year, although the improvement was driven primarily by metals recycling and mining rather than plastics. Tomra said sentiment in the European plastics recycling market remained soft amid trade tensions and wider economic uncertainty. It expects Recycling revenue of €200 million to €215 million for the full year and has initiated gross cost reductions of approximately €16 million, which will gradually take effect during 2026 and deliver their full impact from 2027.

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