Reverse vending recycling machines, (RVM's) are fully automated recycling machines that utilise advanced technology to identify, sort, collect and recycle used beverage containers - cans, PET plastic bottles and cartons (UBCs) and now vending cups.

Historically, RVMs have been limited to reading barcodes (EAN numbers) on used beverage containers to enable recognition of participating containers.

RVC says that it has received considerable interest from the UK vending industry, keen for a new way to collect and recycle used vending cups automatically, without the need to print on barcodes (which can be a costly process). As a result, the company has launched the reVendTM 500 reverse vending recycling machine with an alternative method of recognising UBCs based on a unique image recognition system.

Simply place any used vending cup (including the large Mc Donald/Burger King/KFC drinks cups) in the receiving aperture of the reVend 500 and it will automatically recognise, collect and process the cup for recycling.

The reVendTM image recognition system has an inbuilt camera system with lighting that recognises of all types of vending cups. The integrated image processing software examines and ‘profiles' the ubc and determines the type of used vending cup. The collected used vending cups become a non-contaminated resource, ready to continue through the recycling loop.

It is also possible for the recycler to receive an incentive voucher or points on a smart card as a reward for recycling the used vending cups. The incentive voucher can also be used to promote new sales of the beverage and display corporate or product advertising.

The RVM's in-built computer software (with necessary protective ‘firewalls') is accessible remotely, facilitating statistical collection updates, voucher details and data changes via the Internet.

The machines are connected to the reVend network via ISDN, LAN, Internet and GPRS. The RVM automatically compiles statistical data of all used beverage containers received and recycled enabling the ‘host' to have an auditable record of its recycling activities and statistics.

This information can be displayed on the host's website and reported to the government, relevant environment authorities and trade associations, if required.

The Reverse Vending Corporation's strategic maintenance partner, Avery IT, will commission and install the reVendTM 500 machine subject to client requirements.

Waste solutions have to make both environmental and economic sense if they are to be successful. Deposit and return schemes died out in this country because they didn’t make financial sense.” That was the government’s reaction to the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) recent call to re-introduce bottle deposit schemes to save Britain from the scourge of litter.

The CPRE suggests that if a deposit scheme were implemented, drinks manufacturers would add 10p to the price of every bottle or can sold. The consumer, or whoever picked up the container from the street, would then collect the 10p deposit when they returned it to the retailer or recycling point. In theory, a good idea. But, in practice, a lot has changed since bottle deposit schemes were used as an easy way of keeping the kids out of mischief and not paying them quite so much pocket money.

As Joan Ruddock, Defra’s waste minister, points out: “Until the environmental benefits of deposit schemes are more clear cut, we’re not convinced that implementing them would be justified. We wouldn’t entirely rule them out because we are looking at innovative ways for better collection of materials.”

In Germany, a deposit of 25 Euro cents was introduced in 2003 on non-refillable cans and bottles – again, whether there have been any benefits is a grey area. The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN), for one, is very unsure about the benefits of such systems.

“Germany already had very high recycling rates for all consumer packaging, including non-refillable containers,” explains Jane Bickerstaffe, INCPEN’s director. “The deposit system has diverted the deposit-bearing non-refillables to a separate system which has increased costs and increased environmental impact. Meanwhile, deposits have now been extended to other drinks and, hardly surprisingly, consumers are confused.”

Bickerstaffe highlights similar problems with schemes that have already been trialled in the UK. The Body Shop, for instance, offered its customers a 10% price reduction if they returned containers to the shop for refilling. The scheme was dropped because only 1% of shoppers were using it. “There is a nostalgic image of children earning extra pocket money by returning empty bottles for the deposit, but even a high rate of 20p would represent a small proportion of the average child’s pocket money today,” she says.

“And if deposits were an effective way of collecting drinks containers for recycling, their practicality diminishes as the number of products covered increases. It’s just not feasible to expect people to queue up to reclaim a deposit on every item of recyclable packaging used in the home. The way to increase recycling rates is to encourage more people to support their local collection schemes.”

In some US cities they’ve managed to achieve this by combining the idea of a deposit scheme with collection on a large scale.

The initiative, led by a company called RecycleBank, involves residents receiving ‘RecycleBank dollars’ depending on the weight of waste they recycle each week. These dollars are in the form of vouchers, which can be redeemed at supermarkets, chemists, restaurants and hotels.

Household recycling has increased 200% on the back of the scheme and has caught the attention of Boris Johnson. The new Mayor of London made improving the capital’s poor recycling rates a key part of his manifesto, suggesting that he will “champion new and innovative schemes”. Last month, it’s thought that representatives from RecycleBank were at Town Hall for discussions with some local authorities.

To a certain extent, the idea has already been tested on some UK households. Two years ago, Defra ran some 50 trials to encourage households to recycle by offering financial incentives and community awards. Some also involved a system called reverse vending. It’s a system that’s similar to RecycleBank’s, but it’s aimed at encouraging out of home recycling. The idea is a simple one. The object to be recycled is pushed through a hole and the machine (which looks like a drinks vending machine) scans it to determine the material type.

If it’s not suitable (i.e. not PET), it’ll be rejected and drop back out. If it is PET, it will pass through a set of rollers to compact it before dropping into internal storage compartments. A voucher is then dispensed to the shopper.

Unfortunately, the trials didn’t prove to be successful. In one case, Reverse Vending machines were located in a shopping centre, but the vouchers offered were for a leisure centre three miles away.

“When you put your bottle in, you want 50p to come out or to get your parking free,” explains Hyder Consulting’s Read. “We need some good case studies to see how much these things are going to cost to install and operate, as well as the best incentives to shoppers. We also need to look at who’s going to pay for it.”

“By comparison, industry spent £105 million in 2005 to recycle 60% of all packaging waste, and public funding amounted to £50 million,” explains INCPEN’s Bickerstaffe.

Of course, reverse vending is not a nationwide deposit scheme. The principle is the same, but, in effect, reverse vending could offer an interim solution until a viable option for deposit schemes is worked through.

There are over 80,000 reverse vending machines installed across the world, according to the Reverse Vending Corporation. This is expected to double in the next few years. In the UK it’s estimated that a market for 47,000 single ‘stand alone’ reverse vending machines has been independently assessed for installation over the next 10 years.

“As packaging collection and recycling targets are increased and enforced in the UK, the costs of operating the current waste management solutions will rocket; new systems that reduce man hours and costs of operation of packaging collection and recycling will therefore come to the fore,” says the Reverse Vending Corporation’s senior vice president and chief technology officer, Stephen Stothard.

With Recoup estimating that some 700 million plastic bottles are consumed and discarded away from the home each year in the UK, the potential for reverse vending is considerable. However, the country is currently lagging behind.

“There are a number of locations now considering using reverse vending machines,” adds Andy Newton, Recoup project officer.

Indeed, reverse vending is currently most popular in countries that already understand the concept of pay-as-you-throw.

Many people can remember earning a little extra pocket money by depositing their empty bottles but Barry College learner Jordan Vatsaloo has won himself a shiny new iPod.

Barry College’s reverse vending recycling recycling machine – the first in a Welsh college - has proved extremely popular with learners. Anyone depositing a bottle receives tickets which can be used to buy food and drink in the College refectory.

“We had the idea that once a term there would be a golden ticket, and whoever got the golden ticket would win an iPod,” Assistant Principal, Finance and Resources, Mark Roberts explained. Jordan, who is on a plumbing course at Barry College, is the latest winner.

Reverse vending recycling hit the headlines this week with the launch of a national campaign calling for a new bottle deposit law which would pay back the deposit from recycling plastic bottles and cans.

“We have collected 3,000 bottles,” David Speight, Manager of ARAMARK which is responsible for the College’s catering, said. “We have a range of promotions for the points awarded for using it which change regularly. It’s proved very popular – some of our learners collect bottles to bring in and recycle for fruit or water.”

Barry College’s reverse vending recycling machine was supplied by Reverse Vending Corporation and installed in October 2007.

Stephen Hall, Chief Executive of Reverse Vending Corporation said “through the collection of 3000 plastic bottles and the commitment to recycling by Barry College students & staff and David Speight and his ARAMARK team confirms that reverse vending recycling is real success in the education sector in Wales”.

Mark Roberts added “the recycling machine forms part of Barry College’s response to the sustainable development agenda. I’m pleased that we now have a Welsh Assembly Government cabinet minister with responsibility for sustainability in Jane Davidson and an action plan has been developed for the education sector and FE colleges are required to make a full contribution,”.

There's been a call this week for a deposit system on glass and plastic bottles and cans to help with litter and recycling. About time - but will it work? more>>

30th October - D-Day for pre-treatment of waste prior to landfill ...With Government (Pre-Treatment) regulations taking effect from 30th October ... just the first of a number of European "producer responsibility" directives. ...

www.30th-october.co.uk/ - 31k -

Friends of the Earth said it wanted to see more "reverse vending machines" - which allow consumers to recycle bottles and cans immediately. "Britain has been living in the dark ages in terms of recycling," said a spokesman. "There is this technology, such as reverse vending machines, which are used abroad, and we should be making more use of it. Friends of the Earth says it wants Government recycling targets raised from 20% to more than 90 per cent.

'Reverse vending machines' The government has highlighted some existing schemes, which it says work well, including:Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex, which has set up "reverse vending machines" for plastic bottles and aluminium cans

BBC political reporter Rob Young said there was the "threat of legislation", although ministers say a change in the law at the moment would be "premature".

The UK has one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe. Millions of tonnes of rubbish go into litter bins every year and most of that goes to landfill sites. More >>