A "Flur.vunk" by Prof. Dr. Steffen Kroschwald, Director of the Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption (vunk) at Pforzheim University.

So-called "secret pack vending machines" have suddenly appeared out of nowhere in many city centers and are attracting remarkable attention. Offered for sale in the machines: Packaged returned goods that can be purchased at a unit price without knowing what is inside the return packs. A sustainable business model that gives consumers the chance of a bargain and returned goods the chance to be used instead of destroyed? Or a gamble with dubious benefits for the environment and risks for consumer protection? We at the vunk Institute have highlighted the advantages and disadvantages for a press inquiry and see exciting impulses for a debate in the field of consumer and sustainability science. In this respect: Time for a "Flur.vunk". ...learn more