Waterway Point’s FairPrice Finest outlet now boasts a “reverse vending machine” to encourage recycling. The installation of the machine on 9 January 2018 was part of a collaboration between food and beverage company Fraser & Neave (F&N), supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice, Frasers Centrepoint Malls and Incon Green Singapore, which supplied the machine.
Instead of spitting out cans or bottles of drinks, it will identify, sort and collect used ones which are then sent to recycling plants in neighbouring countries. In return, F&N discounts in the form of cash coupons will be printed. For every five bottles or cans recycled, customers can claim an F&N product discount coupon.
Two more machines are located at the FairPrice outlets at Yew Tee Point and Bukit Merah Central. The discount coupon can be used at the three FairPrice outlets that have the machine installed.
The new Incon Green model has a software management system that collects data from every machine, said the company’s chief executive and managing director Jack Lee. There are peak recycling hours, he said, and the people who used them the most are in their 30s and 40s.
Mr Tng Ah Yiam, FairPrice’s deputy CEO, said he hoped young people would take to the machines.
“We see that the timing is right,” said Mr Tng. “The young are very conscious about protecting the environment and recycling initiatives.”
At the launch, F&N’s general manager Jennifer See said: “At F&N, we believe that simple green habits can be encouraged and developed successfully over time. With this initiative… consumers can recycle the cans and bottles at their convenience.”
Watch the video below for a demonstration of the reverse vending machine:
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 10 January 2018