On Sunday, 1 June, Občanská plovárna in Prague transformed into a place full of games, laughter, and summer atmosphere – while also becoming the site of a quiet yet significant milestone in the Czech circular economy. During the International Children’s Day celebrations, organised under the auspices of Prague 1 Municipal District, the first fully automated reusable cup return system in the Czech Republic was deployed.
Sustainability and responsible event management have long been a priority for Občanská plovárna. Reusable cups have been part of the venue’s operations for almost two years. This year’s Children’s Day marked the next step: visitors were able to return cups through a Smart DRS self-service machine, which refunded the deposit instantly and directly to their payment card – without an app, registration, or scanning. The entire process is automated and powered by AI-based cup recognition technology.
