Royal Antwerp Football Club: RFID tracking of reusable cups and automatic deposit refund

The customer

Royal Antwerp Football Club, often abbreviated as RAFC, is a leading Belgian football club with a rich history and a strong presence in the Belgian football world. RAFC was founded in 1880 and has since won 5 national titles and 4 Belgian Cups. In 2023, RAFC played in the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. The Antwerp-based club has a loyal and passionate fan base known for their dedication and enthusiasm during matches.

The challenge

From June 15, 2023, Belgian football clubs are obliged to use reusable drinking cups. This change is a result of the European SUP directive, which aims to reduce single-use plastic cups and food packagings. In the first place, this requires significant efforts from the clubs: purchasing cups, washing them, integrating a deposit and return system. According to the legal amendment, each club must also be able to demonstrate that at least 90% of all materials are collected for reuse. A solution was looked for where the pursuit of sustainability also results in cost savings and benefits for the fans.

Sven Deneubourg Corporate IT Manager – Ghelamco (RAFC)

“RAFC joined forces with Aucxis, deSter and Weezevent. Together with these creative partners, an innovative solution was created for reusable cups that contributes to the RAFC sustainability ideas, cost efficiency, fairness and fan experience.”

Working together towards a sustainable world.

The RFID tags are integrated in the cups during production.

Lending cups at the Point of Sale goes smoothly and error-free.

The cup collection tubes. Patent pending.

The solution

Tracking of reusable cups using RFID technology. In addition to the ecological aspect, this RFID solution saves time and costs and ensures a user-friendly experience for the fans.

How does it work?

1. Every reusable cup has an RFID tag.
2. The customer purchases (a) drink(s) with his bank card and pays a deposit for the corresponding cups.
3. After payment, the Point-Of-Sale RFID reader links the dispensed cups to the buyer’s payment card.
4. After consumption, the cup collection points, equipped with RFID technology, automatically register all deposited cups. Large stacks of cups can be read simultaneously.
5. Aucxis RFID software captures the data. Via a web service, all information is sent to the payment software which ensures that the deposit is refunded correctly to the buyer.
6. After the match, all returned cups are transported to the washing station. During the washing process, a final check is performed by means of an RFID reader.

The advantages

• Full traceability. We can map the complete life cycle of each reusable cup, which provides valuable insights into the frequency of use and the number of wash cycles.
• The deposit is automatically refunded to the buyer. The cups are identified and linked to the buyer’s bank card upon ordering. This prevents someone else from returning the cup and claiming the deposit, which makes it a convenient and fair system.
• Speed and efficiency. The collection points can scan large quantities of cups automatically and flawlessly. This significantly eliminates waiting times, resulting in a more enjoyable experience for both fans and staff.
• Accurate data available. The precise collection of data provides an insight into consumer behaviour, user patterns, cup performance, etc. This information can be used to take further steps in the area of sustainability.