The number of reverse vending machines that are being installed in supermarkets and other publicly accessible locations around the world continues to rise.
According to Advantech, a leading supplier of IoT intelligent systems and embedded platforms, this is an encouraging trend - and one that can be further promoted through the use of IoT technology. To that end, the company has since 2018 collaborated with one of the various European companies participating in this trend on the development of machines that use AIoT technology to perform real-time monitoring and management.
Bottle recycling machines provide uninterrupted recycling services, said Yuan Lee, Product Sales Manager at Advantech Europe. “Easing participation is the key to improving PET bottle recycling rates. Improving the convenience of recycling, and ensuring access—at any time, from anywhere—necessitates the deployment of numerous recycling machines and the utilisation of IoT technology.”
Added Martin Boettner, Advantech Europe Head of IIoT Key Account Sales in the DACH region, who worked on this project: “Usually, if a user seeking to recycle a plastic bottle finds a machine full and thus out of service, they will be forced to notify staff and wait for the machine to be emptied. This time consuming process must be completed before the bottle is recycled. Needless to say, this hassle can reduce people’s intention to recycle and cause them to either give up or dispose of plastics in the general waste, which doesn’t help anything.”
Integrating the machines with IoT technology enables managers to monitor the status of machines in real-time by making system information promptly accessible. Full machines can be processed and emptied by staff immediately, resulting in less waiting and more efficient bottle recycling.