UK – Tomra, a provider of reverse vending machines (RVM) for clean loop recycling, has partnered with PepsiCo Inc.’s SodaStream to launch the RVM that allow customers to return used CO2 canisters for recycling.
The SodaStream-branded RVM are now being installed in retail stores across the European Union and the US, and machines are already in operation in Sweden and France.
“We hope the Tomra reverse vending solution will bring smoother logistics for both SodaStream retailers and customers and make it even easier for streamers to exchange their cylinders and do their part for the environment,” Eyal Shohat SodaStream CEO, said.
“We take pride in partnering with an industry leader that shares our vision to make the beverage space more sustainable.”
“We take pride in partnering with an industry leader that shares our vision to make the beverage space more sustainable.”
Eyal Shohat – CEO, SodaStream
The goal of the partnership, according to Recycling Today, is to make cylinder exchange more efficient for both retailers and SodaStream customers, and ultimately increase canister recycling for reuse. CO2 canisters are utilised by SodaStream machines to make sparkling water or other carbonated beverages.
SodaStream customers purchase CO2 cylinders to make sparkling water or sparkling beverages in their homes. When a cylinder is empty, customers can return it and exchange it for a full one.
Now, instead of interacting at a customer service desk or cashier to return the used cylinder (or coordinating an online shipping transaction), customers can place the empty cylinder in the RVM and receive a voucher for the value of the used cylinder.
The voucher can act as a credit toward the purchase of a new CO2 refill at the store in which the RVM operates.
“This partnership expands the ways in which Tomra reduces waste in our environment. The closed-loop recycling of drink containers and now the facilitation of reusing CO2 cylinders are examples of how Tomra is leading the way in contributing to a circular economy,” Anneli Forsman, senior vice-president for Tomra collection solutions in Northern Europe, said.
“We are delighted to bring Tomra reverse vending technologies beyond traditional can and bottle returns to new and meaningful applications.”
The companies also claim that the solutions are ideal for retailers in a post-Covid world, as they aid social distancing protocols as customers no longer need to go to customer service points to return used CO2 cylinders.
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