From reusable cups to real climate impact: how Borro is changing the game

This article is part of the ‘Beyond Business – Founders on Impact’ campaign.

As the world works to reduce plastic waste, reusable alternatives often fall short — burdened by low return rates and clunky user experiences. That’s where Borro steps in. This startup is reimagining reuse by building the digital infrastructure that makes sustainable behavior effortless. From football stadiums to music festivals, Borro is proving that when reuse is easy, impact follows. 

The Challenge

Every year, millions of single-use cups are discarded after just minutes of use—particularly at large-scale events like football matches, concerts, and festivals. While reusable cups offer a sustainable alternative, they often fall short in practice. If not returned, cleaned, and reused frequently enough, a reusable cup can have a larger carbon footprint than its single-use counterpart. 

Borro co-founder Glenn Verhaege recognized that the problem wasn’t the cup itself—it was the system around it.  

The Impact

Borro’s system has already proven its value in real-world environments, particularly in football stadiums—where crowd behavior can be unpredictable and logistics are complex. 

“Even in tough environments, we’ve consistently achieved over 90% return rates,” Glenn notes. 

This is a significant benchmark, as research shows a reuse system only becomes more sustainable than single-use when return rates exceed 80%. Thanks to their streamlined process, Borro is not only hitting but surpassing that threshold. 

To date, Borro has helped prevent over 10.000 single-use cups from going to waste during pilot events. And that’s just the beginning. With upcoming partnerships and rollouts in the pipeline, the startup expects to save 2 million cups over the next year alone. 

This impact isn’t just theoretical—it's felt by Borro’s partners on the ground. As Ewout Karel, Innovation Manager at FC Utrecht, puts it: 

“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” 
– Mark Weiser 

“Borro does exactly this. There’s a lot of tech under the hood, but it feels simple. It works logically and intuitively. That makes it instantly usable in the dynamic setting of a stadium. Suddenly, we’re helping the entire stadium recycle plastic—and shortening the lines at the bar. What’s not to love?!” 

The Learning

Like many startups, Borro’s path wasn’t a straight line. The concept initially began with food delivery and takeout—a market Glenn explored during his master thesis. But consumer behavior and reverse logistics presented too many hurdles. 

“We realized that people order food delivery for convenience. Asking them to return a bowl to a restaurant just didn’t work,” Glenn explains.  

That insight led Borro to shift its focus toward venues where consumers are already present—stadiums, arenas, and festivals. These environments eliminate the problem of return logistics and allow for simple, on-the-spot collection.  

Another key learning? Impact alone isn’t enough. To drive adoption beyond early adopters, the product must compete on convenience, cost, and user experience—not just sustainability. 

“If your only selling point is that you’re better for the planet, you’ll reach a niche audience,” says Glenn. “To create impact at scale, the product needs to be better, faster, or easier than the alternative.” 

Building an impact-driven startup isn’t just about technology—it’s about resilience and focus. Sam’s view is that an impact-driven startup should be built just like any other startup – with ambition, drive and belief.

“Don't build an impact startup any differently than any other startup. Work relentlessly towards your goals. We are engineers, motivated by building something that makes a positive impact on society.”

The Future

Borro is now preparing for its next phase: scaling operations across Europe, onboarding more event venues, and raising new funding to support growth. With clear traction, proven technology, and policy tailwinds, the team is well-positioned to expand their impact in 2025 and beyond. 
 
At the same time, Glenn and the team are committed to staying true to their mission. As they grow, they aim to keep sustainability at the heart of the business—without compromising scalability. 
 
“We’re not here to build a product that only works for a small, eco-conscious group,” Glenn says. “We want to create something that works for everyone—and helps make reuse the new normal.”