USF installs reverse vending machines to increase recycling
January 7, 2022 - The University of South Florida has partnered with Coca-Cola to increase recycling efforts through reverse vending machines (RVM). Funded by Coca-Cola, the six machines accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The company is donating five cents to the USF Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry for every can or bottle the six machines receive, up to $5,000 a year. Coca-Cola maintains the machines, although they accept empty cans and bottles from any brand. No cleaning is required, but the RVM returns materials that do not meet recycling criteria, such as glass. The RVM crushes and sorts the recyclables before Coca-Cola’s subcontractor, Atlas, collects them. Each machine’s capacity is about 900 crushed containers. Coca-Cola installed four machines on the Tampa campus and two on the St. Petersburg campus.