'For some this is junk, for others food': the shops collecting plastic waste and handing back cash

Ambitious bottle return scheme helps the Netherlands hit recycling targets and tackle litteringWhen Mariama Kamara enters the new Statiegeld return shop on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, she is on a mission. She has been tasked by her aunt, who runs a nearby restaurant, with depositing three giant blue trash bags of bottles and cans. In about seven minutes she feeds the deposit machine about 350 cans, bringing in more than ?50 (?43) which will go back into her aunt's business. "It's a really cool idea, and so convenient," she says.In the Netherlands, whenever consumers buy goods in cans, glass or plastic bottles, they pay a slight fee (statiegeld) that ranges from 15 cents to 25 cents depending on the size and type. This money can be reclaimed, however, when you return the container to a "reverse vending machine", while uncollected deposits go to enlarging the scheme. Continue reading...