All aboard! The Dutch Railways (NS) plans to set up plastic bottle deposit machines in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.
They hope to install 17 machines across the five stations by September 2022, reports RTL Nieuws. Hoera for sustainable practices! 🥳
READ MORE | Recycling in the Netherlands: an international’s guide
NS station plans
By scanning a QR code via an app on their smartphone, travellers can recycle their plastic bottles and will receive a 15 cent deposit almost immediately on their bank account.
According to the NS, a whopping 10 million bottles could be collected using these deposit machines for train passengers. 🚄
Ultimately, the NS plans to install these machines at 50 stations. Starting in 2023, they will add them to another 17 locations.
Reaching for sustainability
With this initiative, the NS hopes to reduce stations’ waste and make sure 90% of all PET bottles in the Netherlands get reused. ♻️
Starting at the end of 2022, people can also return drink cans at deposit machines. In light of this initiative, the NS wants all trains to be completely waste-free by 2040. 🗑
At the moment, it’s also possible to return plastic bottles for a deposit at supermarkets and gas stations. Some supermarkets like Albert Heijn are also introducing more sustainable practices like allowing customers to buy products without packaging.
What do you think of NS’ new initiative? Tell us in the comments below!
What’s next? A collection device to insert our used Kleenex tissues and have them cleaned and returned to us. Just another manifestation of Big Brother’s Nanny State.