Vienna, 13 December 2022 - With two further important steps, ÖBB is continuing its offensive to upgrade and convert railway stations bit by bit into oases of well-being. To ensure that the motto "linger and feel good" continues to gain importance, ÖBB is launching a sustainable reusable system for coffee cups at three stations together with the company kooky. At the same time, the company Foodie Fridge provides fresh wraps, bowls and snacks from vending machines for healthy refreshment on the platform in between.
ÖBB goes reusable cups instead of disposable ones
Rubbish bins filled with disposable coffee cups and the associated environmental pollution are to become a thing of the past. As of now, new return stations for reusable cups with deposit refunds are being tested in a pilot project at Vienna Central Station, Vienna West Station and St. Pölten Station.
The cooperation is an important step for ÖBB: "We are pleased that we will be able to offer our passengers an uncomplicated, environmentally friendly alternative to disposable cups in the future with the new cup return stations from kooky," says Silvia Angelo, member of the board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG.
Torge Barkholtz, co-founder of kooky, is also pleased about the upcoming cooperation: "The cooperation with ÖBB makes us extremely happy. Because it forms the backbone of our infrastructure to increase the acceptance of reusable packaging in society."
This is how it works:All you need is a mobile phone, an app or web app and a one-time registration. After that, it's quick and easy: the cup is scanned. The return is then automatically registered at the return stations via the built-in chip, the money is transferred to the bank account specified in the app and you get the money back to your account. The service is free of charge for users.
Reusable kooky cups are handed out for a deposit of one euro by the partner businesses Ströck, Le Crobag, Interspar as well as at Hager in St. Pölten at the three stations. The cups are cleaned directly by kooky. This means no additional costs for the partner businesses.
All information on the project and the locations: https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/projekte-fuer-oesterreich/bahnhoefe/neue-services-am-bahnhof
Video: ÖBB goes reusable cups
High-quality meals, bowls, wraps and snacks uncomplicated from the vending machine
ÖBB's partnership with the company Foodie Fridge also brings real added value for passengers. Fresh wraps, bowls and snacks as well as organic drinks made from high-quality, regional ingredients can be purchased at the station. Erich Pirkl, Managing Director of ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GmbH: "While our customers benefit from a variety of gastronomy, snack and supermarket options at the large stations, it is quite challenging to provide our customers with a good catering offer at smaller transport stations as well. Together with our cooperation partner Foodie Fridge, we would now like to close this gap."
Foodie Fridge is a story about good taste, in which regional organic products play the main role. "We offer home-cooked food in takeaway style. We discuss the recipes closely with our chefs in Vienna. The food is cooled, sustainably packaged and can be kept for three to four days. Customers can easily get high-quality meals, bowls, wraps and snacks from the vending machine around the clock. No queuing at the sausage stand or the supermarket checkout," says Alexander Billasch, CEO Foodie Fridge. From 2023 onwards, Foodie Fridge will be present at four railway stations: Tullnerfeld, Stockerau, St.Andrä-Wördern and Klosterneuburg.
About kooky:
kookyis the digital reusable system that is geared towards the current needs of consumers and restaurateurs. The start-up from Switzerland has developed the first intelligent reusable system with its own digital return infrastructure. To avoid isolated solutions in the future, it makes the kooky infrastructure available to existing systems so that they can integrate with it. kooky, a brand of CEBS AG, was founded in 2021 by Torge Barkholtz, Maximilian Zott and Dmytro Boguslavskyy. The company is building the leading reusable circular economy infrastructure to enable waste-free consumption. For more information, please visit: kooky2go.com
About Foodie Fridge:
Foodie Fridge is a start-up from Vienna, on the market since October 2021. With vending machine systems, the company offers corporate catering or the passers-by/passengers/visitors/commuters in public spaces (ÖBB railway stations) added value through a diverse range of food. You can find more information at: foodie-fridge.com