Hospital to Use Cash for Cans Scheme to Raise Funds
21 December 2009 at 2:31 pm
The Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) has been awarded a $5000 grant from WSN Environmental Solutions and Randwick City Council to trial one of Envirobank’s reverse vending machines for a period of three months.
Vanessa Madunic, Deputy Director, The Royal Hospital for Women says that installing the Envirobank reverse vending machine is a great opportunity for Royal to help reduce its environmental impact and raise money to support the hospital.
Each month the hospital recycles between 0.347 and 1.300 tonnes of material. The Envirobank reverse vending machine can assist to divert more cans and bottles from landfill.
Madunic says that for every kilogram of cans and bottles recycled through the Envirobank reverse vending machine the hospital will receive a cash rebate.
Narelle Anderson, the Managing Director of Envirobank says reverse vending machines are the modern day answer to cash-for-cans. They reward and recycle and tackle waste management efficiently and effectively.
Envirobank reverse vending machines look like a regular vending machine, with a twist. Instead of inserting coins to receive a drink or snack, users place their empty plastic bottles or cans and use a touch screen to credit the hospital with a donation in the form of a used beverage container.
Envirobank reverse vending machines are currently located in Sydney-based shopping centres and schools. The machines typically reward with shopping vouchers and prizes and the Royal Hospital for Women is the first organisation to use the machine as a dedicated fundraising tool.
Anderson says visitors, staff and even patients will be able to use the machine to support the community and the machine will also provide the hospital with an accurate report of the material recycled so they can keep track of their environmental savings.
