Reverse Vending Machines

While the concept may sound confusing if you consider just the title alone; it actually makes a lot of sense when you realize how the idea works. In order to promote an easy way to recycle, the machine takes empty recyclable containers from the user and then gives them money. It is an initiative developed in Australia that attempts to reduce littering and promote recycling at the same time. The idea has a lot of merit. The machine takes the container from the user and scans it using an imaging camera that can tell what type of material the container is. It then gives the user a receipt that they can then scan in adjacent cash machine in order to collect their funds.

The amount it gives back the user is approximately ten cents per container. This is actually a pretty good rate of return for the user. The machine is likely to become commonplace in many Australian cities if it works well. It has the potential to really make a difference. Australia has already got a system of garbage collection that designates specific bins for specific wastes. If a user can get cash back from their recyclables instead of just inserting them directly into their trash bins then they are probably going to accumulate the recyclable containers and drop them in the machine for some extra money when they go shopping.

Even though the machine is only just been deployed for use in the field, it has garnered the interest of other countries and looks like it may take off overseas as well. If it can reduce the amount of landfill and thus reduce the carbon output that a country accumulates then it can only be considered a good thing. The bonus is that it actually pays users for doing the right thing.