Carrefour Poland has teamed up with the EKO-Punkt packaging recovery organisation on a partnership that will see reverse vending machines rolled out to 10 Carrefour stores in the Silesian province, at which shoppers can return empty plastic bottles and aluminium beverage cans.
For each item returned, Carrefour will pay customers 15 cents in the form of vouchers, which can be used to pay for purchases in store.
The project was launched in order to meet the plans of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate regarding the introduction of a deposit system in Poland.
Results Will Be Monitored
In a statement, Carrefour said the new system is an opportunity to increase the amount of waste recycled in Poland and to support the household budget of Poles in times of high inflation.
The two partners will actively monitor the results of the test and the planned legislative changes in this area.
"We are convinced that this solution will allow our customers to become even more involved in activities for a clean environment in our country and will have a tangible material dimension for them," said vice-president of the management board and secretary general of Carrefour Poland, Justyna Orzeł.
Rollout In Eight Hypermarkets
The reverse vending machines have been introduced in eight Carrefour hypermarkets in Sosnowiec, Rybnik, Kędzierzyn Koźle, Jastrzębie Zdrój, Jaworzno, Chorzów, Gliwice and Katowice, as well as two supermarkets, in Pszczyna and Zabrze (Chopina Street).
"The project implemented jointly with Carrefour aims to give value to waste generated in households and thus increase the volume of waste sent for recycling, thus contributing to the achievement of recycling levels set by the European Union," said Leszek Pieszczek, chairman of the supervisory board of EKO-Punkt Organizacja Odzysku Opakowań.
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