First units of reverse vending machines that pay 150 soums for each plastic, glass, and aluminum beverage container have been deployed, one outside the Ministry of Ecology building and in the capital of the Surkhandarya province. The public can transfer the funds directly to their Click electronic wallets or direct them toward charitable causes, the Waste Management and Circular Economy Development Agency reported.
The initiative is part of a pilot project formed between the agency and TOMRA, a Norwegian firm specializing in automated waste collection and sorting technologies. The project aims to incentivize the segregated collection and recycling of beverage containers.
Users interacting with the machines can select one of two payout options: have the 150 soums per container deposited into their Click e-wallets, or route the funds to charitable organizations and tree-planting initiatives.
The agency added that the project seeks to transform waste sorting into a daily habit and elevate public environmental awareness. It also aims to demonstrate that used beverage containers are recyclable resources holding distinct economic value.
If the pilot project proves viable, authorities plan a phased rollout to install the reverse vending machines in high-traffic public locations across other parts of the country.
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