A trial of reverse vending technology which accepts glass bottles, PET bottles and cans has launched at a Sainsbury’s store in Newbury, Berkshire.
The trial is the first of its kind in England thanks to the inclusion of glass and features a Tomra T-70 Dual reverse vending machine.
Sainsbury’s is offering a 5p coupon for every qualifying drinks container returned to the machine.
The trial comes just days after Zero Waste Scotland published survey results which indicated almost 70% of Scots ‘definitely’ want glass incorporated into Scotland’s forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme, and a month after a DEFRA consultation revealed strong public backing for an ‘all in’ solution for England Wales and Northern Ireland.
Truls Haug, Managing Director of Tomra UK&I, said: “Showing how three materials can be easily collected in stores with Tomra reverse vending technology is an important learning for retailers and consumers as we move towards an all-inclusive deposit return scheme in the UK, starting with Scotland.
“We look forward to hearing feedback from shoppers and Sainsbury’s staff as the trial progresses.”
