{{Short description|Machine for recycling bottles and cans}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} [[File:Aldi-Pfandrückgabeautomat.JPG|upright=1.3|thumb|Reverse vending machine in an Aldi supermarket in Munich, Germany]] A '''reverse vending machine''' ('''RVM''') is a machine that allows a person to insert a used or empty glass bottle, plastic bottle, or aluminum can in exchange for a reward. After inserting the recyclable item, it is then compacted, sorted, and analyzed according to the weight, materials, and brand using the universal product code on the bottle or can.<ref name="RVM Systems">{{Cite web |title=Reverse Vending History |url=https://rvmsystems.co.uk/reverse-vending-history |access-date=3 November 2021 |website=Reverse Vending Machines – RVM Systems |language=en-US |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027102617/https://rvmsystems.co.uk/reverse-vending-history |url-status=live}}</ref> Once the item has been scanned and approved, it is then crushed and sorted into the proper storage space for the classified material.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021">{{Cite journal |last1=Amantayeva |first1=A. |last2=Alkuatova |first2=A. |last3=Kanafin |first3=I. |last4=Tokbolat |first4=S. |last5=Shehab |first5=E. |date=1 May 2021 |title=A systems engineering study of integration reverse vending machines into the waste management system of Kazakhstan |journal=Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management |language=en |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=872–884 |doi=10.1007/s10163-020-01161-9 |s2cid=233961474 |issn=1611-8227 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021JMCWM..23..872A}}</ref> Upon processing the item, the machine rewards people with incentives, such as cash or coupons.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
The first prototype of a reverse vending machine was established in 1972 by TOMRA.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> With nations increasingly adopting policies concerning recycling and sustainability, reverse vending machines have become the standard in areas with stringent recycling policies.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> To date, there are more than one hundred thousand RVMs spread globally, located in countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Australia, Canada, and the United States.<ref name="RVM Systems" />
== History == On 13 September 1920, the first patent for an 'Empty Container Return and Handling Machine' was registered in America using a coin return as compensation by Elmer Jones and Sue Walker.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> This machine was referred to as a "Bottle Return Machine" (BRM) during that time.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> The first working BRM took approximately thirty years from the first patent to be invented and manufactured.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> This whole process was conducted by "Wicanders from Sweden," with the machine being used throughout the 1950s.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> In 1962, an evolved "Automatic Bottle Return Machine" was established by Aage Tveitan.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> After the invention, the machine was manufactured en-masse by the innovator's firm Arthur Tveitan ASA in Norway and distributed worldwide.<ref name="RVM Systems" />
In 1994, a three-in-one machine focused on bottle recycling was conceived by Kansmacker and is still being used today in some states within the U.S.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> In the United Kingdom, the Reverse Vending Corporation established the first independent return ready Reverse Vending Machines.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> In 2018, RVM Systems paid for the assets and trademarks of the United Kingdom's top reverse vending company, Reverse Vending Corporation.<ref name="RVM Systems" /> Now these machines are standard across the United Kingdom.<ref name="RVM Systems" />
== Operation == thumb|Video of a reverse vending machine in operation in Norway The operations of the reverse vending machine (RVM) are relatively straightforward in that when the recycler brings the used beverage bottle to the machine, a "receiving opening" is designed precisely to accept the bottles.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> The opening ensures that the device can take only one container at a time.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> However, on older systems of the RVM, the recycler has to open a small door on the machine placing the container in a pan before the door closes, with the process being repeated all over again.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> After that, the recycled bottle automatically turns and is then scanned by a UPC ("Universal Product Code") scanner.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> The scanner's primary purpose is to scan the UPC located within the recycled container.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> The UPC system is different from the previous methods RVMs used which analyzed the shape and form of the item while using other identification constraints to ensure the container is matched against the system's database substituting the barcode.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
thumb|upright|Reverse vending machine receipt Up-to-date machines utilize artificial intelligence as the contemporary "recognition layer" rather than other identification segments.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Aco Recycling is the first company to develop AI Recognition Module for Reverse Vending Machines, machines has been already deployed to deposit and non deposit countries. After the recycled item is scanned and matched to the system's database, it is then considered an approved item.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Recyclable items are quickly processed and crushed to ensure size reduction, to prevent leaks of any liquids inside the bottles, and finally, to boost the machine's storage volume.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> In addition, refillable containers are manually handled and returned to the bottling firms.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> According to a study by the New York City Housing Authority, participants reported that the reverse vending machine was a more flexible option for recycling and convenience purposes.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Furthermore, these machines are seen as a contributor to the circular economy as people are motivated to participate in recycling initiatives due to monetary benefits.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
== Mechanics == thumb|User scanning plastic bottles in a reverse vending machine in Moscow (2020) thumb|A back-room handling unit sorting items into different bins, in Estonia A back-room handling system can allow the use of different bin types.
The reverse vending machine attempts to solve the efficiency problem of sorting waste to enhance the recycling process.<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019">{{Cite journal |last=Watanyulertsakul |first=Egkarin |date=9 October 2019 |title=The Accuracy of Sorting Beverage Cans and Bottles for a Reverse Vending Machine |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340693659 |journal=ECTI Transactions on Computer and Information Technology |volume=13 |pages=71–80 |doi=10.37936/ecti-cit.2019131.189066 |s2cid=216652651 |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130071932/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340693659_The_Accuracy_of_Sorting_Beverage_Cans_and_Bottles_for_a_Reverse_Vending_Machine |url-status=live |doi-access=free}}</ref> Reverse vending machines work by permitting the user to insert the recycled containers within a specific aperture inside the machine,<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> after which the container is compressed to reduce its size and allow more to be stored within the machine.<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> After the machine compresses the items, it sorts them for storage purposes, after which they will be delivered to companies responsible for recycling them.<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" />
When the machine receives a container from the user, the item is placed in the "loading pad", which may be a pan or a wheel.<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> In the pan form, containers are sorted using a barcode scanner,<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> with software matching the container against a database,<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> and a hardware sensor works with other parts{{how?|date=September 2025}} to ensure the machine works effectively.<ref name="Watanyulertsakul-2019" /> The machine interacts{{how?|date=September 2025}} with recyclers, information technology support and technical maintenance teams.<ref name="Research-2019">{{Cite press release |last=Research |first=Q. Y. |date=4 April 2019 |title=Global Reverse Vending Machine Market to Reach US$685.1 mn by 2025, Reports QY Research, Inc. |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/04/04/1797151/0/en/Global-Reverse-Vending-Machine-Market-to-Reach-US-685-1-mn-by-2025-Reports-QY-Research-Inc.html |access-date=3 November 2021 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en |archive-date=6 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106052505/https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/04/04/1797151/0/en/Global-Reverse-Vending-Machine-Market-to-Reach-US-685-1-mn-by-2025-Reports-QY-Research-Inc.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
New technological developments are increasingly being implemented in Europe.<ref name="Dell-2018" /> In October 2021, Germany and Denmark partnered with TOMRA to launch the multi-feeding reverse vending machine, the TOMRA R1, enabling recyclers to deposit more than one hundred used beverage containers into such machines in one go.<ref name="Dell-2018" />
TOMRA, which is the biggest manufacturer of reverse vending machines, is expanding its reach as a global RVM leader in Europe, and has committed to donating five eurocents to raise money for vital medical equipment in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, with TOMRA's first publicly available R1 unit.<ref name="Dell-2018" /> TOMRA's R1 machine exhibits higher recycling deposit return rates, achieving 98% returns in Germany, and 92% in Denmark.<ref name="Dell-2018" />
== Demand == Waste is being accumulated at a growing pace all over the world, causing the need for new recycling solutions like reverse vending machines.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India |last2=S.K |first2=Pramita |last3=S.V |first3=Mamatha |last4=Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India |last5=Mhatre |first5=Prathamesh |last6=Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India |last7=S |first7=Abhishek Gowda |last8=Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India |last9=R |first9=Deeksha |last10=Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India |last11=U |first11=Srikanth |date=23 October 2019 |title=A Study on Challenges for Adoption of Reverse Vending Machine: A Case of North Bengaluru, India |series=World Conference on Waste Management |url=http://tiikmpublishing.com/data/conferences/doi/wcwm/26510251.2019.1202.pdf |pages=15–29 |doi=10.17501/26510251.2019.1202 |s2cid=211753334 |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027121612/http://tiikmpublishing.com/data/conferences/doi/wcwm/26510251.2019.1202.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016 alone, over 400 billion bottles were dispersed globally to consumers, with a little less than half of those bottles being amassed for recycling.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2017 |title=A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change |access-date=3 November 2021 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107170839/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change |url-status=live}}</ref>
In the countries that have adopted reverse vending machines, their public and private sectors have partnered to partake in the recycling effort to forego paying extra taxes and contributing to the supply of reverse vending machines, and direct investment to get retailers and waste processors involved in the space despite the initial costs of purchasing and deployment.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Athukorala |first1=S.C. |last2=Hennayaka |first2=H.M.A.L. |last3=Rathnayake |first3=S.M.L.P. |last4=Hariluxman |first4=M. |last5=Gamage |first5=J.R. |last6=Gopura |first6=R.A.R.C. |title=2021 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon) |chapter=A Reverse Vending Machine for Sorting Yoghurt Cups and PET Bottles |date=27 July 2021 |chapter-url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/mercon52712.2021.9525682 |pages=333–338 |publisher=IEEE |doi=10.1109/mercon52712.2021.9525682 |isbn=978-1-6654-3753-0 |s2cid=237520679 |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130072040/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9525682/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
With product-focused collection and recycling programs outperforming traditional recycling methods, governments are looking into automating the process by adopting government funding grant programs to help supply more machines throughout urban areas. As an example, California and Michigan have adopted "bottle bills". Yet beverage companies have put up resistance to these measures.<ref name="Dell-2018">{{Cite web |last=Dell |first=Jan |title=How to close the loop on a quarter-trillion plastic bottles a year |url=https://trellis.net/article/how-close-loop-quarter-trillion-plastic-bottles-year/ |access-date=1 December 2025 |publisher=Trellis |date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=5 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105230337/https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-close-loop-quarter-trillion-plastic-bottles-year |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Locations == === Asia === Kazakhstan has embraced the idea of using reverse vending machines to help in their waste management processes.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
India first introduced the RVMs to help recycle containers in 2016.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
In Singapore, RVMs were installed nationwide by the joint collaboration between National Environment Agency (NEA) and F&N Foods in 2019 with rewards given out for returning bottles. These machines were received with overwhelming public response.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zheng |first=Zhangxin |date=10 January 2020 |title=Recycling vending machines overworked, incentives adjusted to S$0.20 for every 20 containers |url=https://mothership.sg/2020/01/recycling-vending-machines-incentives-change/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829081051/https://mothership.sg/2020/01/recycling-vending-machines-incentives-change/ |archive-date=29 August 2022 |access-date=18 March 2025 |website=mothership.sg |language=en}}</ref> As of August 2023, 16 million bottles had been collected.<ref name="The Straits Times-2023">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2023 |title=Reverse vending machines rewards stopped ahead of new deposit-refund scheme for drink containers |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/reverse-vending-machines-rewards-stopped-ahead-of-new-deposit-refund-scheme-for-drink-containers |access-date=19 March 2025 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}</ref> The RVMs stopped giving out rewards due to the upcoming Beverage Container Return Scheme which shall commence in 2026.<ref name="The Straits Times-2023" />
=== Europe === thumb|Bottle reverse vending machines in an Albert Heijn supermarket, Netherlands [[File:Pullonpalautus - bottles return.jpg|thumb|Reverse vending machine for empty beverage cans and bottles in an K-Citymarket in Finland]] thumb|A machine in Sweden with a "pour-all-in" function, capable of handling bulk amounts of PET bottles and cans in a single go Norway is among the leading countries in recycling in Europe.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> In Norway alone, there exists over 3700 reverse vending machines, and more than 10,000 stations, where trash, including bottles, could be received.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Norway offers relatively high monetary incentives for the returned bottles, thus resulting in high recycling rates.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Finland is another country with high recycling rates based on the tax for liters generated.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" /> Bottle reverse vending machines are widespread in Nordic and Baltic countries, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland.{{cn|date=May 2026}}
In February 2022, an Aldi store in Ireland set up a RVM in Mitchelstown, County Cork.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/aldi-launches-first-reverse-vending-26263321 |title=Aldi launches 'reverse vending machine' in Ireland in charity recycling drive |date=17 February 2022}}</ref>
More than 140 grocery stores owned by UK-based retailer Tesco are planning to add RVMs.<ref name="Dell-2018"/> Moreover, Tesco has committed to making all of its branded products 100% recyclable by 2025, and spearheaded an RVM campaign set to debut in early 2022.<ref name="Dell-2018" />
===Middle East=== In 2018, Israel was able to collect 77% of the recyclable waste by returning the deposit fee to the end user.{{cn|date=March 2025}}
=== North America === In North America, the adoption of recycling is relatively low; only 9.2% of the plastics manufactured in the United States were recycled.<ref name="Dell-2018"/> Product-focused recycling and collection programs are being implemented in states like Michigan and California, where reverse vending machines are starting to be implemented.<ref name="Dell-2018"/> Reverse vending machines have been implemented in various entertainment venues in the region as well, including Lincoln Financial Field, Javits Center, Nationals Park, and Red Rocks Amphitheater. They were also deployed at the Super Bowl.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anheuser-Busch bringing reverse vending machine to Super Bowl LVII - Recycling Today |url=https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/anheuser-busch-bringing-reverse-vending-machine-to-super-bowl-57/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218224944/https://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/anheuser-busch-bringing-reverse-vending-machine-to-super-bowl-57/ |access-date=22 February 2025 |archive-date=18 December 2023}}</ref>
=== Oceania === ==== Australia ==== {{Main|Container deposit schemes in Australia}} [[File:Return and Earn reverse vending machine in New South Wales, Australia.jpg|thumb|Reverse vending machine used in New South Wales' Return and Earn scheme.]] In Australia, reverse vending machines are used as part of recycling schemes where consumers can return eligible drink containers for a 10 cent refund at automated collection points. By 2025, Australia became the first continent to have a container deposit scheme in every jurisdiction, after Tasmania became the final state to implement the scheme and installed over 100 reverse vending machines.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-01-01 |title=SA's iconic container deposit scheme leading the nation for 40 years |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-01/sa-container-deposit-scheme-leading-nation-for-40-years/8156298 |access-date=2026-03-29 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-12 |title=Aussies offered free cash as state finally rolls out latest recycling scheme |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussies-offered-free-cash-as-state-finally-rolls-out-latest-recycling-scheme-065047071.html |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-04 |title=Australia becomes first continent covered by container deposit schemes |url=https://www.tomra.com/reverse-vending/media-center/feature-articles/australia-container-deposit-schemes |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=www.tomra.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-03 |title=Officials unveil game-changing 'reverse vending machines' to pay residents: 'It's a win' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/officials-unveil-game-changing-reverse-020000668.html |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Russia=== Other parts of the world are continuing to adopt reverse vending machines through the use of both public and private joint ventures.<ref name="Dell-2018" /> For example, the Russian food retailer, X5 Group, initiated a partnership with Coca-Cola in Pyaterochka, Moscow, to supply RVMs in neighborhood areas with high foot traffic.<ref name="Dell-2018" /> Unilever has also supported the use of RVMs in Moscow in 2019, where they installed seven in Perekrestok and three in Moscow, through a pilot project to promote plastic collection and recycling initiatives, by issuing 10% coupons for Unilever products in the respective storefronts.<ref name="Dell-2018" />
Russia has illustrated a focus on RVMs with one of its most significant food retailers joining forces with a global beverage producer to enact RVMs in numerous shops across the country with a discount coupon of 15% to reduce waste.<ref name="Amantayeva-2021" />
=== West Asia === In Türkiye, a nationwide Deposit Return System (DBYS) is set to be launched in 2025, and is planned to reach the extent of largest European systems. Contrary to conventional models, the system omits paper vouchers entirely and instead employs a centralized, fintech-style mobile app known as DOA ("Depozitosu Olan Ambalajlar"). Consumers register using their national ID number and immediately receive deposit refunds into their e-wallet after returning designated beverage containers—including aluminum cans, PET bottles, and glass bottles (with glass processed via crushing modules)—at accredited reverse vending machines or manual collection points in Türkiye. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Depozito Yönetim Sistemi (DYS) nedir? Doğa uygulaması nasıl çalışır? |url=https://www.yenisafak.com/foto-galeri/ekonomi/depozito-yonetim-sistemi-dys-nedir-doa-uygulamasi-nasil-calisir-4669533/5 |website=Yeni Şafak |language=tr |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> This digital structure significantly reduces operational and environmental costs, enhances transparency, and minimizes fraud by centralizing all transactions. <ref>{{Cite web |title=11 soruda DOA! Depozito Yönetim Sistemi nedir, nasıl çalışır? |url=https://www.yeniasir.com.tr/ekonomi/2025/01/12/11-soruda-doa-depozito-yonetim-sistemi-nedir-nasil-calisir?paging=3 |website=Yeni Asır |language=tr |date=12 January 2025 |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref>
== Advantages == The reverse vending machine has several environmental and economic benefits. A person can be rewarded a monetary gain or other rewards by disposing of their waste, such as plastic bottles.<ref name="Sambhi-2020">{{Cite journal |last1=Sambhi |first1=Shilpa |last2=Dahiya |first2=Preeti |date=13 March 2020 |title=Reverse vending machine for managing plastic waste |journal=International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=635–640 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13198-020-00967-y |doi=10.1007/s13198-020-00967-y |s2cid=216480601 |issn=0975-6809 |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130071938/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13198-020-00967-y |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> This economic benefit is an incentive for people to dispose of their waste correctly.<ref name="Sambhi-2020" /> With landfills receiving 27 million tons of plastic in 2018, the adoption of reverse vending machines attempts to combat waste by providing a convenient proper disposal method.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OLEM |date=12 September 2017 |title=Plastics: Material-Specific Data |url=https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data |access-date=4 November 2021 |website=United States Environmental Protection Agency |language=en |archive-date=5 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105050719/https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data |url-status=live}}</ref> The machine's design allows the user to only insert the item in, and no other action is required.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Watanyulertsakul |first=Egkarin |date=9 October 2019 |title=The Accuracy of Sorting Beverage Cans and Bottles for a Reverse Vending Machine |journal=ECTI Transactions on Computer and Information Technology |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=71–80 |doi=10.37936/ecti-cit.2019131.189066 |s2cid=216652651 |issn=2286-9131 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The combined convenience and user-facing simplicity of such machines enables the correct sorting of waste by type and material, so it does not end up dumped in the environment.<ref>{{Citation |title=Chapter 6. Greening the RVM |work=Making a Green Machine |pages=94–116 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |date=31 December 2019 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.36019/9780813550879-008 |doi=10.36019/9780813550879-008 |isbn=9780813550879 |s2cid=242507787 |access-date=4 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130071922/https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.36019/9780813550879-008/html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> One of the focal points of having a reverse vending machine rather than a traditional recycling bin is the use of a crusher which allows for a larger capacity of storing waste.<ref name="Sambhi-2020" />
== Disadvantages == thumb|Reverse vending machine in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia that rewards 10 cents for each returned bottle Despite the efficiencies found in reverse vending machines, their high acquisition costs are a disadvantage, as machines typically cost more than $6,000.<ref name="Business Post-2021">{{Cite web |last1=O'Regan |first1=Elaine |url=https://www.businesspost.ie/smes/making-it-work-dublin-start-ups-reverse-vending-machine-uses-ai-to-reward-recycling-3f1c49ee |title=Making It Work: Dublin start-up's reverse vending machine uses AI to reward recycling |work=Business Post |access-date=6 November 2021 |archive-date=6 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106121009/https://www.businesspost.ie/smes/making-it-work-dublin-start-ups-reverse-vending-machine-uses-ai-to-reward-recycling-3f1c49ee |url-status=live}}</ref> Due to these costs, private business owners typically cannot afford to acquire and manage the machines.<ref name="Business Post-2021" /> As a result, government-affiliated and non-profit interest groups have worked with companies like TOMRA to initiate policies and joint venture programs to promote the use of reverse vending machines to the public.<ref name="GCSF-2019">{{Cite web |title=Reverse Vending facts: Governments' policies, economics and materials management {{!}} Global C Store Focus |url=https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/features/reverse-vending-facts-governments-policies-economics-and-materials-management/ |access-date=4 November 2021 |website=www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk |date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130071925/https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/features/reverse-vending-facts-governments-policies-economics-and-materials-management/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As more corporations and private businesses begin to enter the RVM market, costs are expected to decrease and become a more common alternative to traditional recycling methods.<ref name="GCSF-2019" />
Aside from an economic perspective, RVMs are subject to constant checkups, updates, and maintenance procedures which enable the artificial intelligence software to continue scanning and collecting data on the recyclable bottles.<ref name="Research-2019" /> Despite the convenience that reverse vending machines offer their users, the monetary rewards may be perceived as too insignificant to incentivize recycling from the general public.<ref name="Research-2019" />
== See also == * Circular economy * Container-deposit legislation * Deposit-refund system * Plastic pollution * Recycling
==Further reading== *{{cite journal |first=Graham |last=Butler |date=2025 |title=Deposit return schemes of EU Member States and the EU's internal market |journal=Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=101–108 |doi=10.1111/reel.12591 |bibcode=2025RECIE..34..101B |doi-access=free}}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reverse Vending Machine}} Category:Container deposit legislation Category:Recycling Category:Vending machines