The city of Beijing has come up with an ingenious idea to encourage people to recycle more. It has installed 34 “reverse” vending machines in subway stations throughout the city. When a passerby inserts an empty plastic bottle, the machine’s sensor scans it to assess the value of the plastic – anywhere from 5 to 15 cents – and spits out a public transportation credit or extra mobile phone minutes. The reward is commensurate with the quality and number of bottles being fed into the machine, although there is also the option for people such as tourists, who don’t need the rewards, to insert bottles anyways.
Climate
Pay For Your Subway Ride By Recycling A Plastic Bottle
Most read
Cohesion
A Migrant’s Journey To Founding Cologne’s First Black Library
Guyanese Glenda Obermuller’s personal story led to the founding of the first Black Library in Cologne, Germany, the land of her great-grandfather
Public Space
Habibi Kiosk: A Bold Move For Munich’s Main Theater
Culture in Munich is mutating into new perspectives at Habibi Kiosk ; the success at its privileged location addresses difficult questions about the city
Mobility
Why Arctic Conditions Don’t Stop Cycling In Oulu, Finland
Winter cycling veteran star Pekka Tahkola on why his fellow residents in Oulu, Finland, don’t give up urban cycling even with snow for five months
Public Space
‘New World’ Mall In Bangkok Could Finally Be True To Its Name
A community-led initiative revives a contemporary ruin in its quest to fight against the excessive privatization of public space in Bangkok