Vending machines in northern Germany offer seeds, art, live bait and concrete 24/7

Repurposed dispensers for ecology and biodiversity

Automated self-service dispensers across the German states of Lower Saxony and Bremen have expanded well beyond standard inventory items such as tobacco, vapes, beverages, and snacks. Seven years ago in Bremen, hobby beekeeper Jonte Mai, who is now 19 years old, developed a method to convert discarded chewing gum and condom vending machines into functional seed dispensers. Mai launched the initiative under the project name Naturschutz2go to encourage residents to plant insect-friendly flora and counteract the ongoing extinction of insect species. The venture has earned multiple environmental awards and now maintains active dispenser units across four European countries, comprising Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Austria. Revenue from seed sales directly finances conservation projects alongside educational workshops organized for children and adolescents. Interested builders can also access an online video tutorial on Mai's website detailing how to construct and install the dispenser units independently.

Converting cigarette cabinets into cultural outlets

Repurposed mechanical vendors have also become an established distribution channel for visual art across urban and rural municipalities. Under the slogan of art instead of cigarettes, project initiator Lars Kaiser has guided the conversion of traditional metal cigarette cabinets since 2001. Originating in Berlin, the network has expanded to encompass approximately 250 distinct art dispensers located throughout Germany and several neighboring nations. In Lower Saxony, colourful converted machines are mounted in public spaces across towns such as Verden, Celle, and Stade. Buyers can purchase miniature artworks for a fixed price of four euros per unit. The packaged inventory features works from regional and supra-regional creators, providing paintings, small sculptural objects, and folded graphic prints designed to establish direct commercial and aesthetic contact between working artists and local patrons.

24-hour equipment for cyclists and recreational anglers

Automated vending units in the region also address time-sensitive logistical needs for outdoor hobbies and mechanical breakdowns outside standard shop operating hours. Cyclists who encounter flat tires on weekends when commercial bicycle repair shops remain closed can purchase replacement parts from an outdoor vendor in Langenhagen. The dispenser, installed outside the shop Zweirad Krüger, supplies common bicycle inner tubes at a cost of nine euros each, with sales restricted exclusively to cash transactions. In Bremerhaven-Spaden, retail store operator Duško Stupar established a specialised dispenser outside his angling shop to serve recreational fishers departing for lakes and rivers during the early morning. The automated vendor dispenses live fishing bait, specifically live worms and maggots, stored under precisely regulated temperature conditions.

Stupar described how the temperature controls inside the outdoor vending unit keep the live bait preserved for customers at any hour.

They are cooled down to zero degrees so that they enter a torpor.

Self-service concrete for regional construction projects

The scope of automated 24-hour distribution in northern Germany extends to industrial building supplies for commercial and domestic construction. In the municipality of Schwanewede, the landscaping and gardening company Kusserow operates a dedicated automated station known as Beton2go. The automated depot provides round-the-clock access to fresh concrete tailored specifically for home improvement enthusiasts and regional contractors who require smaller batch quantities outside regular yard hours. Users drive their transport vehicles directly up to the dispensing plant and independently select their required concrete grade through an automated control interface before collecting the mixed material.