Machines that pay users to recycle adopted by city

Users are rewarded with points on an app for every single-use bottle they deposit

A scheme that rewards people for disposing of bottles and cans in a reverse vending machine has been adopted by another city.

The device, which offers financial incentives on a mobile app in return for using it to recycle, has been installed at Parkside Pools and Gym in Cambridge.

It follows a successful trial by West Suffolk Council, which has introduced seven Trovr machines in Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill over the past year.

Councillor Rosy Moore from Cambridge City Council said: "We are always keen to try out new ways of capturing recyclable packaging that could otherwise end up as litter or in landfill."

The machines were introduced in west Suffolk a year ago and the scheme has now been expanded to Cambridge

The pilot scheme was spearheaded by Newmarket North councillor Janne Jarvis, who has been working to introduce it to other parts of the UK.

Speaking in March, he said it had been "tremendously successful" in Suffolk and believed Cambridge would be the "perfect place" for its expansion.

The system works by people bringing single-use drink containers to a Trovr machine, which then verifies them as recyclable and credits points to an app.

These points can be redeemed for online discounts, entry into cash giveaways or with participating local businesses.

Reverse vending machines like these are set to become more common in the UK as the government brings in Deposit Return Scheme legislation from 2027.

As part of this, retailers will charge a small deposit for plastic and aluminium drinks containers, which consumers will be able to redeem by recycling them.

Trovr CEO Nick Yearman said: "By placing our machine at Parkside Pools and Gym, we're helping the community turn everyday recycling into a positive action that benefits both people and the planet."

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