New recycling scheme a blast from the past

A pioneering recycling scheme is being launched in Maidstone this week as part of the battle to crackdown on litter, particularly on our roads.

The ‘reward machines’ at Maidstone Services off junction 8 of the M20 will offer drivers who recycle empty plastic bottles and coffee cups money off snacks and drinks at the pumps.

The project is the first of its kind in the UK, and while no doubt an exciting, modern initiative, it’s something of a throwback to what many of us will remember from decades ago.

Once upon a time, enterprising youngsters would hustle their way to some extra cash by picking up empty pop bottles lying around the streets and taking them into stores for a cash refund.

It didn’t just supplement pocket money, it was one of the first great schemes to keep litter down and encourage green habits before the word ‘recycling’ became part of our vernacular.

Despite constant media coverage, including most recently via the legendary David Attenborough on the BBC’s Blue Planet, we are still extremely wasteful in what we consume and the way we dispose of it.

Similar recycling schemes to Maidstone’s reward machines have been introduced in other areas, including bins labelled with a ‘target’ for lorry drivers to throw their waste into.

Whether this particular scheme is a success remains to be seen, but it’s no doubt a positive to have fresh ideas coming to the fore, while seemingly also simultaneously returning to traditions that many fondly recall from growing up in the past.