Vending

Australia tech firm deploys BYO bottle machines to reduce plastic bottles

Image provided by Refilled.

September 18, 2023

Refilled, a Sydney, Australia-based climate tech start-up, has placed its bring-your-own bottle machines at The University of Technology Sydney and The University of Sydney Union, according to a press release.

The company hopes to capitalize on the demand for reusable bottles by giving people more flavor variety and nutritional options than water on tap. Its "Refillers" are a cross between a fridge and giant SodaStream, offering chilled still and sparkling drinks in a range of flavors with the ability to add optional boosters such as caffeine, vitamins and exercise-focused nootropics.

Refilled hopes to install 100 Refillers by 2024, which would eliminate upwards of 1 million single-use plastic bottles from ending up in environment or landfills every year.

Refilled tracks the number of bottles it has saved in real time and has created reusable bottles with QR codes that can be scanned at the Refiller and used to pay for drinks.

To date, Refilled has raised $600,000 through angel investors and Melt Ventures, a venture capital fund.