A network of machines for receiving plastic bottles for bonuses is being created at Russian railway stations

According to the Russian Railways company on its website, the pilot project for the placement of vending machines at the stations of Moscow and St. Petersburg was recognized as successful and it will be expanded.

Thus, the installation of another 14 vending machines was recently completed at Kazansky, Paveletsky, Belorussky, Kursky, Kievsky and Savelovsky railway stations of the capital, at Moscow and Baltic railway stations in St. Petersburg, as well as in Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Sochi.

“Currently, 26 vending machines operate at Russian railway stations. In the future, it is planned to continue expanding the network of vending machines, including at small Russian railway stations,” the company said.

As noted in Russian Railways, the popularization of vending machines will reduce the burden on the environment by providing a more efficient system for recycling municipal solid waste, involve responsible citizens in the process and educate the younger generation in a culture of environmental concern.

A vending machine is a device similar in size to a vending machine that accepts used plastic bottles and aluminum cans from the public on a reimbursable basis. Accepted containers are pressed and distributed into an appropriate container for storage and transfer in the form of briquettes to processing enterprises, Russian Railways noted.

“As a reward for the returned container, the user of the vending machine is awarded bonus rubles, which can be spent when purchasing goods or services from companies participating in the affiliate program. In order to credit bonuses, it is necessary to enter the phone number registered in the Ecoplatform bonus program when returning the container," the company explained.

According to the report, Russian Railways is constantly working to reduce the impact of its production activities on the environment by introducing innovative resource-saving and low-waste technologies, and is also implementing programs to create environmental consciousness in society.

“For example, for many years at infrastructure facilities and on a number of trains, a program has been operating for separate collection of garbage for plastic and other waste, special stationary containers have been installed to collect batteries, plastic bottle caps, etc.,” Russian Railways noted.