Veolia and LEON pilot deposit-return scheme as UK public shows appetite for recycling
18 Mar 2019 --- A reverse vending machine designed to accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans has been unveiled at King’s Cross in central London by UK recycling group Veolia and restaurant chain LEON. Backed by research which shows 81 percent of people would go out their way to deposit a bottle or can, the pilot will operate for six months to encourage people to recycle while on-the-go. Any bottle returned will receive a voucher worth 10 percent off the bill at the nearest LEON restaurant.
Britain fails to recycle 40 percent of plastic bottles because they aren’t placed in the right bins, according to Veolia. That equates to over 240,000 tons of bottles not reaching recycling centers every year. This pilot has been designed around consumers to target the disposable drinks containers most commonly discarded on-the-go. This constitutes bottles under 750ml as well as aluminum cans in order to make it easy for people to recycle, reduce littering and enable more materials to be salvaged.
“A UK-wide deposit-return scheme is imperative if we want to round up the millions of stray plastic bottles and cans we as a country are not recycling. This pilot Veolia is conducting with LEON is the yardstick for on-the-go recycling,” says Richard Kirkman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Veolia UK & Ireland.
“Located in a high footfall area and targeting the drinks containers most commonly, the machine offers an alternative to carrying recyclable items home or discarding as litter. Our research shows people are motivated to recycle; they care about the environment and the vast majority are poised to use a machine like ours when a reasonable walk away.”
“Veolia will collect and process the machine’s contents, ultimately transporting the bottles and cans to be recycled into new products. We hope as the pilot unfolds, it proves the importance of recycling on the go as well as the need for appropriate infrastructure to facilitate it,” Kirkman explains.
Improving lagging UK recycling rates
Last month, the UK government launched a series of consultations with the aim of “overhauling the waste system,” which includes a nationwide Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for cans and bottles. The consultations also include a proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme and a tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30 percent recycled plastic content. The government will elicit industry opinions on its plans for 12 weeks, closing on 13 May 2019.
The consultations come after growing concern around the performance of UK recycling systems and infrastructure. For example, Think tank Policy Connect recently published a report entitled “The Plastics Packaging Plan” which suggests that the UK is lagging behind European recycling standards and can no longer afford to “sweep its plastic waste issues under other countries’ carpets.”
YouGov research suggests that people are generally willing to go out of their way to use a deposit return machine because of an obligation the environment:
• Twenty-seven percent of people would walk less than 5 minutes to deposit a bottle or can in a reverse vending machine. Twenty-nine percent would walk between 5-10 minutes, 11 percent would walk between 10-15 minutes, 5 percent would walk between 15-20 minutes, and 10 percent would walk 20 minutes or over. This means 81 percent of people are prepared to walk for a certain amount of time to use a reverse vending machine.
• The majority of people (almost two-thirds – 64 percent) are primarily motivated to recycle because of an obligation to the environment, as opposed to 3 percent who do it as a result of societal pressure or 5 percent who “aren’t motivated by anything.”
“The planet needs us to do this”
“At LEON we've been committed to being the most sustainable business we can be since we opened our first restaurant in 2004. Through our ‘Planet LOVe’ program launched in 2019, we will carry on investing in new ways to reduce single-use plastics and find better recycling solutions because, put simply, the planet needs us to,” comments John Vincent, CEO & Co-Founder of LEON.
“We're excited about this partnership with Veolia because we know that, as an industry, we need to push for the right facilities and infrastructure to ensure better recycling and reuse – this is a great step forward. And we can’t wait to welcome all the recycling warriors into our restaurants and reward their efforts with a little thank you from us.”
Last week, Innova Market Insights highlighted the significance of industry alliances between food manufacturers, packaging suppliers and waste management agencies in its Top 10 Packaging Trends for 2019. The researcher stresses that collaboration will key to achieving ambitious circular economy and sustainability goals set forth by governing bodies and businesses alike in 2019.
“We want King’s Cross to continue to be an exemplar of sustainable development, and we see the way in which waste is managed as a key part of this. We are proud that we don’t send any waste to landfill but we want to improve the amount of plastic waste that gets recycled from public areas and ultimately eliminate single-use plastics,” adds Steven Kellett, Sustainability Manager at King’s Cross Central Limited partnership (KCCLP).
“This is why we are delighted to be involved in this new initiative in partnership with Veolia and LEON which we hope will further increase the amount of waste that is recycled on site, and help King’s Cross become an even greener place to work, live and play,” he says.
The reverse vending machine is located under West Handyside Canopy, adjacent to Granary Square in King’s Cross. Depositing a plastic bottle (up to 750ml) or an aluminum can in the machine will entitle users to a voucher worth 10 percent off the bill at the LEON in St Pancras Square a few minutes’ walk away. One voucher is redeemable per purchase.
By Joshua Poole
