Taking the UK’s fight against plastic pollution a step further, Iceland has become the first supermarket to install a reverse vending machine in store, allowing shoppers to return their used plastic bottles.
The machine – which will be trialled in Iceland’s Fulham store for an initial six month period – will reward shoppers with a 10p Iceland voucher for each returned used plastic bottle.
This move is in line with the Government’s planned plastic recycling ‘deposit return scheme’, which was proposed in March. Scotland meanwhile committed to a bottle deposit scheme last year.
“The vocal support Iceland has received since announcing our intention to eradicate plastic packaging has shown us that there is a huge public will to tackle the scourge of plastics,” Richard Walker, Iceland’s managing director, has said. This comes after Iceland’s announcement that it will be rolling out a plastic-free mark on its packaging that will highlight eco-friendly options for shoppers.
