‘Sexy recycling’: Reverse vending machines could be heading to Cambridge

Reverse vending machines - which offer rewards for people returning their bottles and cans - could be coming to Cambridge.

Janne Jarvis, who helped introduce them in Suffolk, described the machines as “sexy recycling” and said people enjoy using them.

Deposit return schemes are common in many European countries, with people paying a small deposit when buying a product in a plastic bottle that they get back when they return the empty bottle to a collection point.

Janne was in Cambridge when the idea came to him.

“I was just with friends looking around thinking what can we do for our home town environmentally,” he recalled. “I said there are reverse vending machines in northern Europe, why do we not have them in a city like Cambridge? The city has a rich history of progressive thinking.

“I tried as a private citizen to make waves, but as a private citizen it is difficult as people do not take you seriously and reverse vending machines are still a bit of a mystery in the UK.

“I couldn’t get anywhere, so I thought about trying in Newmarket as it is smaller and I might get a better chance.”

Janne decided to stand as a councillor at West Suffolk Council to help further the scheme.

He said: “One day I saw there were elections happening and I thought I am going to run and give it a go. My friends and family said ‘are you sure about this?’ I said ‘not really, but I am going to do it.’ And I ran and luckily I won.

“I took a year to investigate and educate myself, so I could take the idea to the council with an oven-ready plan, for want of a better expression.”

Janne worked with the company Trovr on the project and came up with the idea of giving people vouchers for money off at major retailers and local businesses when they deposited their recycling. This gives bottles and cans value, which encouraged recycling.

West Suffolk Council launched reverse vending machines in 2024 and said the “pioneering initiative” had boosted recycling rates while supporting local businesses.

“It has been incredibly successful,” said Janne. “People are using them out of convenience. They did not know about the reward - they just like the machines. It is sexy recycling and something people enjoy doing.”

Janne argues the UK is “way behind the curve” on climate mitigation and believes it is important to “get the basics right”.

After success in Suffolk, Janne has been contacting Cambridge city councillors.

Cllr Jean Glasberg (Green, Newnham) has been “instrumental”, he said.

He said: “This is a great example of local authorities working together, which is critical in the fight against climate change.”

Cllr Glasberg said: “I have been very pleased to be able to work with Cllr Jarvis on this, and am hopeful that we will have a scheme up and running in Cambridge very soon.

“Officers have been working to get a couple of reverse vending machines installed at Cambridge Leisure on a trial basis, and are now in the final stages of checking all the arrangements.

“Reverse vending machines in stores and other public spaces are commonplace in many other countries and make it very easy for people to recycle items such as plastic bottles which otherwise go to landfill. This is a simple step we can take to tackle climate change.

“The scheme has been very popular in West Suffolk and I’m sure that Cambridge residents will also welcome it, and that we will be able to expand use of the machines to other locations in the city as well.”

Janne said the scheme underlined how important it was for people to take action.

While many people “feel helpless” on environmental matter, he hoped he could be “living proof in a modest way that you can get out there and bang a few heads and make things happen”.