Article by Tomra on reverse vending role April 2020
Truls Haug, Managing Director at TOMRA Collection Solutions, explains the role of reverse vending technology in deposit return schemes, ahead of the schemes set to be introduced in the UK over the coming years
With Scotland set to bring in a deposit return scheme (DRS) in 2022 and England, Wales & Northern Ireland in 2023, reverse vending machines for collecting drinks containers are set to become a regular fixture in our daily lives.
Deposit return schemes have already proven to be a success in over 45 countries worldwide, incentivising consumers to return their empty containers for recycling and achieving return rates of over 90%.
Scotland’s DRS is expected to see a 20p deposit on drinks sold in aluminium and steel cans, as well as containers made of glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic.
Deposit return schemes use reverse vending machines (RVMs), bulk return points (for larger quantities of containers) and manual returns to collect empty drinks containers for recycling. Each have different roles to play, with reverse vending machines likely to make up a large proportion of return points in the UK, since the schemes are set to be ‘return to retail’. This would mean that containers can be returned to any applicable shop that sells drinks.
RVMs not only automate the process vs manual returns over the counter but can increase the efficiency, security and value of the experience for all stakeholders in a deposit return scheme.
Read full article – Article by Tomra