Why these reverse vending machines accept trash, not cash

What if instead of buying products from a vending machine, you could earn money from the empty packaging you put back in? To make recycling an everyday part of life, Justin Needham is rolling out South Africa’s first reverse vending machine. Litter is strewn across the streets and chokes the ocean, yet there is little recourse to salvage it. Every year, over 12 million tonnes of waste is generated in the country, while some studies estimate the recycling rate for plastic is as low as 14%. It’s the result of insufficient resources and systems for people to manage their waste on an effective scale. So Needham is creating new methods for South Africans. “My belief is that people are inherently good and they want to do the right thing for the planet,” he says. 

In 2015, Needham established the company Imagined Earth with his brother, using technology to drive more people to recycle. “I think the challenge has always been a lack of facilities, and in our view, a lack of incentive,” he says. Reverse vending machines work by scanning the barcode of an item that’s been inserted to determine whether it is recyclable, and if so, its recyclable value. People then type their cellphone number into the machine and connect to the Imagined Earth app, which subsequently offers them a rebate for their recyclables. Needham and his team have a database of over 30 000 barcoded items across brands that are recyclable, ranging from PET bottles, to steel and aluminium cans, coffee cups and yoghurt tubs. By recycling these, people earn a payment to buy airtime, shares, or receive coupons. “We want to make recycling as easy and convenient and rewarding for South Africans as possible,” Needham says.

From the vending machines, items are collected and taken to partners to be recycled. So far, Needham has achieved a 100% recycling rate through his system. With 140 machines located across the country, including shopping malls and petrol stations, Needham is helping transform citizens into recycling advocates. Furthermore, he’s supporting informal waste reclaimers by reducing their travel distances and removing the burden of sorting waste while offering immediate benefits. “Our hope for the future is that people are going to take the environment a lot more seriously,” Needham says. “Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable South Africa.”