today i learned about singapore's reverse vending machine initiative from my friend, brenda. i had the opportunity to read her fantastic photo journal about plastic pollution and clean-up programs, in which she discussed these vending machines' function.
fairprice finest, singapore's leading supermarket company, launched a prototype for a reverse vending machine in 2018 to promote recycling. these vending machines accept plastic bottles and cans, which people can deposit in exchange for 20 cents.
the machine is currently in the prototype phase, and is expected to be refined and completed by march 2020. currently, it only accepts bottles and cans because straws and other forms of recyclable materials would have to be priced differently.
this initiative excites me and i cannot wait to see where it goes from here. i think that the system of exchanging recyclables for money is incredibly compelling and user-friendly to consumers. it would be awesome if the machines could be expanded to accept all kinds of recyclables and have a pricing system that detects the type of waste and outputs the corresponding change. i would love to see these kinds of vending machines implemented worldwide, as this could not only promote eco-friendliness but also work towards that.