Vending

Solano County joins list of California counties with reverse vending machines

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August 28, 2024

30 California counties have received a grant from the Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Program to install reverse vending machines, according to a Daily Republic report.

Solano County is the latest to join the list of counties implementing reverse vending machines that allow recycling glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminum cans in exchange for a reward. After users insert the recyclable item into the vending machine, the machine sorts, compacts and weighs the item to sort it. After the item is processed, the machine dispenses rewards like cash or coupons.

"Innovative ways to recycle will help more Californians cash in their beverage containers and provide recycled materials for in-state remanufacturers," CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller told the news outlet. "These new sites will make redemption as simple as feeding containers into a machine or dropping off a bag of empty containers."