Nearly 40,000 cans recycled in Brussels worth €2,000 in vouchers to consumers

Three reverse vending machines installed in Brussels at the beginning of April have been a great success, according to figures reported by La Capitale on Monday.

The reverse vending machines are located at the Solbosch (ULB) site in Ixelles, at the Alma (UCL) site in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, and at the Place de la Monnaie in Brussels. These machines allow consumers to deposit empty cans and in return collect 5 cent vouchers, which can be used in various selected stores.

According to the study carried out by La Capitale, the pilot project appears to be performing extremely well: after just one month, nearly 40,000 cans have been recycled, including 32,000 on Place de la Monnaie (where the vending machine is located on the right-hand-side of the square, facing La Monnaie opera house). This amounts to almost €2,000 worth of vouchers offered to consumers.

The pilot project will continue for another five months, after which its overall impact will be assessed: special attention will be given at the assessment to the issue of whether the project has significantly reduced littering in public spaces.