The reason is because the advent of new technologies has allowed vending to deliver real innovation at an accelerated pace. This is enabled, in part, because the investment goes into the development and delivery, without staff costs.
One aspect of vending that’s often overlooked is ‘reverse vending’: using vending-style technology to encourage recycling or products previously purchased from a vending machine or elsewhere. In this field, we’re seeing some unexpected ideas and solving unexpected problems.
A recent initiative in Istanbul, Turkey, sees consumers encouraged to recycle used plastic bottles. Their reward? Feeding some of the city’s 150,000 stray cats and dogs!
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The reverse-vending machines – made and installed by Pugedon – dispense a small amount of kibble and drinking water whenever one of the city’s 14 million residents inserts a used plastic bottle.
Strays in Istanbul are a common sight on the streets of the world’s eighth largest city, which is home to one of the largest roaming animal populations. The Turkish government regularly collects and deposits hundreds of strays in forested regions on the outskirts of the city, forcing animal-loving residents to travel out of the city to feed them. But Pugedon is easing the burden on the state, as the company has specifically stated that no government money will be required to run the scheme.
The food is paid for by proceeds from recycling the plastic each machine collects, so as long as citizens do their civil duty in keeping the streets clean, the strays are looked after until they can be properly adopted.
That said, the streets of Istanbul are not a terrible place for cats and dogs, which residents refer to as ‘social animals’, as they have adapted to urban environments, even stopping at roadsides until crossing lights turn green.
Source: Wired
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