Digital Vouchers Issued to Customers for Recycling in Queensland, Australia : TOMRA Rolls Out First Paperless Reverse Vending System

TOMRA Collection Solutions is now offering digital vouchers as a payout option for container deposit schemes, where consumers receive refunds for returning empty bottles and cans for recycling at a reverse vending machine.

According to the company, a part of the Norweigan sensor based sorting specialist the TOMRA Group, the move makes it the first reverse vending provider to offer digital vouchers as a payout option.

Part of the my TOMRA app, the digital voucher means recyclers scan a barcode on their smartphone to access their refunds, instead of scanning a printed paper voucher from the reverse vending machine. The company said that as well as being more environmentally friendly, the flexible, personalised payout option means no more losing or forgetting to redeem paper vouchers.

The digital voucher service first launches in the Australian state of Queensland, which has kicked off its new container deposit scheme to increase recycling rates and combat drink container litter.

TOMRA runs in Queensland modern depots where recyclers can return their beverage containers. The digital vouchers can be redeemed at leading Australian supermarket Woolworths, which also partners with TOMRA on container refunds in New South Wales.

Vouchers can be redeemed as cash or in-store credit toward grocery purchases.

The myTOMRA app, launched in December 2017and offers electronic payout of refunds direct to a PayPal account of the user’s choice, and the ability to see reverse vending machine locations and their live status.

myTOMRA is part of the TOMRA Connect portfolio of digital products, which seeks to add value to using and owning reverse vending systems.

Paper Cuts

“With our planet’s resources high on the international agenda and the movement toward paperless working, we thought it was counter-intuitive that a machine that enables recycling should rely on paper,” explained Aleksander Mortensen, Head of TOMRA Collection Solutions Digital.

“TOMRA reverse vending machines have long offered charity donations as an alternative to refund vouchers, and the launch of the myTOMRA app offered even more flexibility with digital payout via PayPal. It is our latest digital voucher functionality though that truly replaces the need for paper, even for those who prefer retail credit for their refund.”

How it Works

The digital voucher functionality in the free myTOMRA app is available for Queensland recyclers in Google Play and the App Store, with log-in also possible via the web at mytomra.com.au.

Consumers create a myTOMRA profile to get started. They can then scan their personal myTOMRA barcode at a reverse vending machine when they return their beverage containers.

Once they finish their recycling session, the consumer selects digital voucher on the reverse vending machine screen as the payout method, and their refund amount appears in the myTOMRA app within seconds.

Recyclers can then scan their digital voucher at the cash register or service desk at participating retailers to receive their recycling deposit back as cash or in-store credit.

Retailers with TOMRA reverse vending machines in selected regions can now offer their shoppers the new digital voucher service. The card reader and additional software is said to be easy to install and integrate.

“In myTOMRA, we are striving to build the ultimate app to make container returns easy and convenient both for end users and for sites providing reverse vending systems,” concluded Mortensen.

Read More

Rethinking Deinking: TOMRA E-Book For Paper Recycling

A new downloadable e-book from TOMRA Sorting Recycling looks at the commercial and regulatory pressures on deinking and recycling paper and cardboard.

TOMRA Backs Plastic Pollution Research eXXpedition as Leader Speaks at IFAT 2018

TOMRA, has come on board as the Title Sponsor for eXXpedition’s next highly anticipated all-women plastic research voyage North Pacific 2018.

Optical Recycling System Specialist TOMRA Hold First Annual Conference in Crete

TOMRA explains technology advances for recycling industry at its first two day ‘TOMRA Leads Global Conference´ on the Greek island of Crete.