Aldi has begun installing reverse vending machines for the recycling of aluminum cans and PET bottles in its shops in Cork, Ireland. The excellent results of the pilot test in the township of Mitchelstown (12,500 containers collected since February 2022) have prompted the chain to extend the measure to other supermarkets in the region.
Patented in 1920 in the United States, the vending machines are a perfect solution to encourage separate collection. The principle is simple, but effective: financially reward the recycling of packaging in units installed at high footfall points.
Aldi’s experience in Ireland could therefore be replicated on a large scale, especially as it also has a social aspect: the supermarket chain will donate the proceeds to charity projects.