Coca-Cola unveils innovative 'reverse vending machines' that could be game-changers for consumers: 'Set a precedent'

What if a vending machine could recycle your plastic bottles for you after you finish a drink?

A new Coca-Cola India project brings that idea to life with easy-to-use "reverse vending machines" that help boost plastic collection efforts in East India, according to MediaBrief.

All people have to do is insert empty Coca-Cola bottles, and the device will compact and store them. A mobile app also rewards users with points for every bottle deposit, which they can use to save money on various Coca-Cola products.

Up to 800 bottles can fit in each RVM before they are collected and turned into clothes, bags, or more packaging, MediaBrief explained.

That means the machines can help address the world's plastic waste problem, especially since they incentivize consumer participation. It's a badly needed positive step for Coca-Cola, which is frequently cited as the largest contributor to plastic pollution of any company in the world.

Cleaning up the amount of plastic that litters the planet is crucial to keeping humans healthy and protecting the places all kinds of wildlife call home.

Coca-Cola's partner Biocrux India installed the RVMs and can remotely monitor how they perform. The goal is to increase awareness of the nation's plastic problem and encourage people to act. Similar public engagement initiatives in Puri have succeeded in the past, including around major festivals, MediaBrief reported.

Despite this promising collaboration to limit waste, Coca-Cola still has its work cut out to change the momentum of its global impact and must commit to doing more to limit plastic pollution.

"By introducing reverse vending machines in Puri, we're enabling people to take simple yet meaningful steps to make recycling part of everyday behaviour," Rajesh Ayapilla, a senior director at Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, said, according to MediaBrief.

Abhimanyu Behera, executive officer of Puri, added, "Initiatives like this not only enhance civic engagement but also set a precedent for other cities to follow."

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