Reverse Vending Machine Launched at Islamabad

On Saturday at the Jinnah Super Market, Islamabad, Malik Amin Aslam Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Climate Change unveiled the first of its kind reverse vending machine (RVM) for plastics. The vending machine facilitates the people to recycle on the move. Plastic bottles of any brand can be used in the machine.

The RVM itself is like a vending machine but in reverse. The consumers on the touch screen have to press the start button and the RVM will open up a slot to receive the plastic bottle (of any brand and size). Once deposited, the RVM compresses the bottle so that it is ready for the next steps of recycling. After it gets crushed to be recycled and the machine will give you a coupon of Rs.100 incentive i.e. discount of purchase from KFC. Malik Amin Aslam also briefed the media that initially the model will be observed for two months and in case of success it will be implemented in other cities of Pakistan.

The RVM is part of the government’s and Prime Minister’s Clean Green Pakistan program and committed to take significant steps towards tackling the issue of plastic waste. These Reverse Vending Machines are installed by the company PepsiCo. In the beginning of the year, the company declared the country’s largest plastics collection and recycling project under the Prime Minister’s Clean Green Pakistan program. Later, the firm said more than doubling its existing targets for plastic collection and recycling, it plans to increase its prevailing 4,750 tons plastics collection program by adding another 5,500 tons making a total of 10,250 tons of plastics to be collected and recycled in 2021.

Mr Aslam said: “All of us will have to work together to truly address the plastic issue. The RVM machine is a way of making that connection with the public and encouraging them to recycle.”

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