‘Jumbo’ BCRS machines allow deposit of all plastic bottles at once

2 of 10 planned reverse vending machines installed in Pembroke and Ħal Far

Tista' taqra bil-Malti.

BCRS Malta has started installing new ‘jumbo’ machines that appear to address two concerns that have attracted countless complaints since the container refund scheme it manages opened operations: a processing time that is far too slow and machines that reach capacity far too easily.

These new jumbo machines can store up to 9,000 containers and make possible the depositing of plastic bottles all at once – instead of the time-consuming deposit of every item individually.

But the machines do come with a drawback, as they only handle PET plastic containers: they do not handle the glass bottles and cans that are also included in the container refund scheme. Consequently, slower, single-feed machines will be set up alongside these bulk PET machines to cater for any other goods that people may need to bring.

The company aims to install 10 such machines, putting the price tag of this initiative at €2.5 million. The first two machines – at Luxol's Park-and-Ride and at the BCRS clearing centre in Ħal Far – have now gone live.

BCRS Malta said that the jumbo machines are being manned by specialised personnel to help guide the individuals making use of them, and that they will be operational every day between 6am and 10pm – the single-feed machines alongside them operate on a 24/7 basis.

While their processing time is roughly the same as that of the smaller machines, the jumbo machines do most of the work expected of the smaller machines’ users.

The company said that more than 60 million beverage containers had been returned in the first five months of the scheme's operation, with 2,581 tonnes of plastic, glass and metal exported for recycling purposes.

It reminded that its reverse vending machines only accepted the beverage containers explicitly included in the scheme, namely water (still, sparkling and flavoured), soft drinks, energy drinks, beers, ciders, dilutables, flavoured drinks with less than 5% alcohol and ready-to-drink coffee. They do not accept containers for juices, dairy products, wines, alcoholic spirits, cartons and pouches which continue to be collected through previously-existing waste collection schemes.