More beverage containers are being dropped off at some reverse vending machines in Jurong for recycling, said the company behind them.
When the machines were first installed in March 2021, the ones in areas with high footfall received about 300 to 400 cans or bottles per day.
The number has doubled to around 650 to 700 containers per day, according to Sandra Sajen, sustainability manager of ALBA W&H Smart City, Sandra Sajen, told CNA on Friday Sep 23 that reverse vending machines may be one of the ways consumers can return their beverage containers when a deposit scheme is implemented by the National Environment Agency NEA in 2024.
Under the proposed scheme, consumers who buy pre-packaged drinks may have to fork out 10 to 20 cents more as a deposit for their beverages as a way to encourage recycling.
They will be able to get their deposit back when returning the can or bottle to designated return points that have yet to be confirmed.
It will likely involve only metal cans and plastic bottles in the initial stages.
The amount of deposit to be charged and where the beverage containers can be returned are things that NEA is trying to gather public feedback on.
The increased recycling rates for ALBA W&H Smart City have caused the company to increase the number of times its machines get cleared twice a day, said Ms Sajen.
She added that the company sometimes gets calls from members of the public who find the machines are full at odd hours of the day.