Vending

Coca-Cola launches reverse vending machine to support recycling at University of Miami

Image courtesy of the Coca-Cola Co.

November 18, 2021

America Recycles Day, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida and The Coca-Cola Co. have partnered to launch a reverse vending machine in the Hurricane Food Court at the University of Miami, according to a press release.

The university has joined a growing list of organizations that have integrated reverse vending technology into their environmental and sustainability programs.

Reverse vending is a recyclables recovery process by which plastic bottles and aluminum cans are deposited into a unit, the materials are crushed and sorted by type, then collected, treated and prepared for reuse.

For Coke Florida, specifically, the materials will be used to produce new beverage packaging at local facilities. This process ultimately reduces carbon emissions across the supply chain and supports The Coca-Cola Co.'s World Without Waste initiative to recycle a bottle or can for every one sold by 2030.

For each plastic bottle or aluminum can collected through the machine, 5 cents (up to $5,000), will be donated by The Coca-Cola Co. to the University of Miami Marine Science Graduate Student Organization sustainability initiative which focuses on environmental awareness and outreach activities that help strengthen the intersection of science and sustainability.