12 years ago I installed the very first Reverse Vending Machine in Wales in support of a Mandatory Deposit Return Scheme. In October 2012, WRAP Cymru the Welsh branch of the Waste and Resources Action Programme officially launched a £432,000 "Recycle on the Go" grant programme funded by the Welsh Government Wales @WRAP_Cymru funding enabled the Cardiff College to install the very first Reverse Vending Machine installed in Wales. as part of the “Recycle on the Go” Welsh Funding. Cardiff College (now named Cardiff and Vale College ) identified that the Aramark run restaurant areas were ideal positions to install Reverse Vending Recycling Machines, rewarding students and staff for recycling to encourage recycling and reduce litter. The project received a 100% positive feedback and helped with discussions about a Deposit Return Scheme. I used DRS ready machines that were used at that time in the Deposit Return Scheme in Germany. Reverse Vending technology has advanced greatly since , with exciting new advancements in recognition systems and online availability. By 2014 I had installed a further 200 Reverse Vending Machines throughout the UK in rail stations, transport hubs, offices , hospitals, supermarkets and the education sector. The journey towards a UK Wide Deposit Return Scheme has been a long one, but now getting closer. with a confirmed start date of October 2027 for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Under the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme, Wales will officially include glass bottles, but with a temporary zero-pence deposit during a four-year transition period starting on 1 October 2027. While England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have completely excluded glass from their schemes, the Welsh Government secured a unique exemption to keep glass in scope. However, to prevent cross-border fraud and give businesses time to adapt, glass bottles will carry no deposit and will be exempt from special DRS labelling requirements until 30 September 2031, allowing consumers to return them at designated points purely for recycling. The Welsh Government has officially appointed Exchange for Change as the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) to administer the scheme in Wales #Cymru #DepositReturn #ReverseVending #Rvm #Drs Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government

Me in November 2027 😄 #DepositReturn #ExchangeforChange #Rvm #DepositReturnScheme

Exchange for Change delays certified @Reverse_Vending machine list for second time The list was originally expected by the end of September, before EfC revised its timetable to early October Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) operator Exchange for Change (EfC) has delayed publishing its list of certified reverse vending machines (RVMs) for a second time, with retailers urged not to purchase equipment until it is released. The list was originally expected by the end of September, before EfC revised its timetable to early October. However, it has still yet to be published. Better Retailing understands publication is now anticipated by the end of October, although EfC has stressed this is not a firm deadline. Around 25 RVM suppliers are understood to be interested in the UK market. Certification involves multiple stages of testing, and the list will continue to be updated after publication as more machines are approved. Why do retailers need Exchange for Change’s list of certified RVMs? Retailers who purchase an RVM that is not certified by EfC risk losing access to its £6,000 granttowards installation costs. They will also receive 40% less in handling feesfor every container accepted through an unapproved machine. DRS launches on 1 October 2027 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, introducing a refundable 20p deposit on eligible drinks containers. It will cover PET plastic, steel and aluminium containers between 150ml and 3l, with glass also included in Wales. Retailers required to operate return points will accept containers and refund deposits, either manually or through RVMs. #DepositReturn #Drs #ReverseVending #Rvm Via @BetterRetailing betterretailing.com/exchange…

🌱 Turning recycling into social impact: The evolution of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). For years, we’ve been accustomed to getting a few cents or pence back when returning our empty drink containers. But the way we interact with these systems is shifting from a personal refund to a powerful tool for global good. Across Europe, reverse vending machines (RVMs) are transforming into modern micro-donation platforms. Instead of pulling cash out of the machine, users are increasingly given the option to pay it forward right at the screen. Look at how this is scaling across different regions: 🇩🇪 Germany’s Grassroots Approach: For years, consumers in Germany have used initiatives like the "Pfandtastisch helfen!" boxes. These physically sit next to bottle return machines, allowing shoppers to simply slip their printed deposit receipts directly into a donation slot to support local food banks and non-profits. 🇮🇪 Ireland’s DRS Innovation: With Ireland's Re-turn scheme continuously expanding, dedicated donation boxes and drop-off points are popping up across major workplaces and public hubs—such as the recent rollout by Go-Ahead Ireland—making it seamless for commuters and staff to donate their containers directly to corporate charity partners. 📺 The Digital Shift: Many modern reverse vending systems (like those seen in major retailers like IKEA) are taking it a step further by integrating digital menus directly onto the touchscreens. With a single tap of a "Donate" button, you can choose between global causes like the WWF, UNICEF, or local conservation trusts. The system handles the donation seamlessly, prints a confirmation receipt, and sends the micro-gift directly to the charity. This is a masterclass in behavioral design and corporate social responsibility (CSR). By reducing the friction to donate down to a single button press, we are turning everyday waste management into a massive, collective funding stream for charity. #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #DepositReturnScheme #CSR #SocialImpact #Recycling #GreenInnovation

Have you ever wondered, Whats inside a Reverse Vending Machine? 🤔♻️ Most of us have used a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) to drop off empty plastic bottles or aluminium cans, cash in a deposit, and go about our day. But what happens behind that small circular opening is a masterclass in automation, engineering, and the circular economy. It is far more than just a smart bin, it is a high-tech sorting facility packed into a single kiosk. Here is what is happening under the hood: 😂 #ReverseVending #RVM #DepositReturn #DepositReturnScheme #DRS #Supermarket

From a 1920s Patent to Modern DRS: The 100-Year Evolution of Reverse Vending Ever wondered where the concept of the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) actually started? Most people think of it as a modern 21st-century sustainability innovation. In reality, the foundation for today’s Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) was laid over a century ago. Here is the fascinating journey of how a simple idea transformed into a global recycling revolution: 📜 1920: The Blueprint is Born The story begins on 13 September 1920 in America, when Elmer M. Jones (alongside Sue Walker Vance) registered the very first patent for an "Empty Container Return and Handling Machine". Known then as a "Bottle Return Machine" (BRM), it operated on a simple mechanism: drop in an empty glass bottle, get a coin back as compensation. While ahead of its time, no commercial prototypes were built from this original registration. 🇸🇪 1950s: Sweden Brings it to Life Fast forward thirty years. The massive industrial rise of retail and single-use beverage containers left Sweden facing unprecedented litter issues. Looking for a solution. 🇸🇪 1950’s Swedish manufacturer Wicanders took Elmer's foundational concept and mass-produced the first working, manual prototypes. 🤖 1960s – 1980s: Automation & The Industry Giants The technology quickly evolved from manual drops to automated recognition: 🇸🇪 The 1960s: Sweden continued to innovate with early mechanical advancements, including technical development contributions from innovators like Aage Tveitan. • The 1970s: In 1972, Norwegian brothers Petter and Tore Planke founded TOMRA, introducing the first fully automated reverse vending machine. This set a new global standard for scalable commercial automation. • The 1980s: Sweden officially launched its nationwide deposit system (Pant) for aluminium cans in 1984, pioneering the large-scale automated infrastructure we see everywhere today. 🇬🇧 2000s – Today: Scaling the UK Infrastructure As the tech matured into AI-driven, 360-degree barcode scanning systems, pioneering leaders brought this infrastructure to the UK. I worked for decades to deploy reverse vending machines across UK bus stations, supermarkets, hospitals, schools, corporate offices,shopping malls , colleges, universities, train stations, and transport hubs. lnkd.in/ezT9z-Fd Today, as the UK gears up for its mandatory nationwide Deposit Return Scheme regulations, the industry owes a massive debt to the pioneers who saw value in an empty container. What started as Elmer’s visionary patent 100 years ago is now a cornerstone of the global circular economy. 🗣️Please Note: At this time there are no Reverse Vending Machines approved to work in the UK. Exchange for Change will list “Approved RVM Suppliers” beginning later this month, with further manufacturers added over the following weeks #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #Recycling #ReverseVending #HistoryOfInnovation #DRS