Throw empty bottles into vending machines and ride the metro cheaper

Istanbul. In the Turkish metropolis, people can now throw plastic bottles into vending machines and thus travel more cheaply on the metro. In Turkey, a new currency has been created to pay for tickets. This helps people who would otherwise not be able to afford a ticket. In addition, this "payment option" promotes environmental protection.

How does this system work in Istanbul?

So-called "take-back machines" have been set up throughout Istanbul, into which plastic bottles can be thrown. Throwing in old plastic bottles gives citizens a monetary value in return. A 0.33 liter plastic bottle yields 2 Turkish cents, a 0.5 liter bottle yields 3 cents and a 1.5 liter plastic bottle pays out 6 cents. These cents can then be added to the price of the ticket. A ticket in Istanbul costs 2.60 Turkish Lira (260 Turkish cents). Accordingly, you would need about 28 1.5 liter plastic bottles to afford a ticket from that.

Istanbul Mayor Mevlut Uysal said that the vending machines track how many bottles which citizen has collected and recycled. Citizens can then not only use them to buy tickets, but are also rewarded with event tickets, such as a visit to the theater.

Turkey is, after Germany and France, the largest European producer of commercial and household waste. The Turkish government hopes that the introduction of reverse vending machines will make a positive contribution to environmental protection.

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