Coca-Cola Pilots Reverse Vending Machines to Boost Recycling

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, has launched a pilot program in Scotland to encourage recycling among university students. The initiative uses reverse vending machines that provide a monetary reward for every aluminum can or plastic bottle deposited.

Students receive 20 pence (US$0.27) per eligible container, which can be redeemed at campus cafeterias. The pilot aims to measure the effectiveness of financial incentives in shaping recycling habits among young people. “Giving students the chance to interact with a deposit return system, something that will soon become part of everyday life, allows us to see firsthand how people engage with reverse vending machines in real conditions,” said Jo Padwick, Representative, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners UK.

The program builds on evidence from international experiences showing that deposit return systems improve recycling rates. A 2023 report by Ball Packaging and Eunomia indicated that in the United States, nine of the 10 states with the highest recycling rates have deposit return programs, while none of the 10 lowest-ranking states provide direct incentives for returning containers.

Deposit return systems typically involve a small surcharge on the purchase of beverage containers, refunded when the container is returned through a reverse vending machine or designated collection center. Resource Recycling Magazine estimates that if such a system were implemented nationwide in the US, it could recover roughly 447 billion beverage containers, generating 31Mt of reusable material valued at about US$5.5 billion. Recycling these materials could prevent 34.1Mt of pollution and save 13.25 billion L of gasoline.

The Scottish pilot reflects Coca-Cola’s strategy to enhance its environmental reputation and promote responsible consumption among younger populations. The program also includes a social research component: three student households will document their recycling behaviors over two weeks to identify practical and motivational barriers to participation.

This pilot is part of a series of tests Coca-Cola has conducted globally. In India, Coca-Cola worked with Biocrux India in Puri to implement machines capable of storing 800 bottles each. The collected containers were compacted and recycled into new products such as clothing, reusable bags, and beverage packaging.

While limited in scope, the program has global potential. Simple financial incentives, such as a few coins per container, could influence entrenched recycling behaviors. Positive results from the pilot could inform the replication of deposit return systems in other countries to increase recycling rates and reduce plastic waste accumulation.