Sainsbury's introduces reverse vending machines

Sainsbury's, a United Kingdom-based supermarket, has installed a reverse vending machine at its Lincoln, U.K., store in efforts to collect plastic bottles and metal cans from customers. For each bottle or can returned, shoppers receive a five pence voucher for purchases in stores.

The plastic bottles and cans must be purchased from Sainsbury's or other big brands, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, according to a news release. The supermarket will also roll out the scheme in four more stores this week, with possible plans to extend the pilot program in stores across the U.K.

Sainsbury's recently announced it will remove and replace plastic packaging from all stores, instead offering paper bags for bakery items as well as reusable bags made from recycled material for fruits and vegetables. The store has committed to plastic packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

The company is on track to remove all dark colored plastics by March 2020. The company says it will replace black plastic trays, film plastics, plastic cutlery and takeout polystyrene trays with “recyclable alternatives” by the end of the year, reducing its use of “nonrecyclable and virgin plastic” by 10,000 tons per year.

“We are absolutely committed to reducing unnecessary plastic packaging in Sainsbury’s stores,” says Sainsbury CEO Mike Coupe. “Our customers expect us to be leading the way on major issues like this, so I am determined to remove and replace plastic packaging where we can and offer alternatives to plastic where packaging is still required to protect a product.”