Earn Up to Rs1,000 by Recycling Plastic Bottles Through Reverse Vending Machines!
The ‘Green Credit’ scheme for recycling plastic bottles has been launched in Lahore as part of Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Credit Program, aiming to tackle plastic pollution and promote environmental stewardship.
Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) installed initially at four major universities in Lahore, with plans to expand to public and private spaces including markets and shopping areas.
Citizens can deposit empty plastic bottles into these machines and earn up to Rs1,000 in Green Credit per kilogram of plastic, which equates to about 20 one-and-a-half litre bottles or 40 half-litre bottles.
The machines are locally manufactured in Pakistan using advanced Chinese technology, costing around Rs800,000 each. They are equipped with weight-sensitive sensors to reject non-plastic materials.
The process is user-friendly: press button “A” to insert bottles, enter mobile number, then press button “B” to view credits on the screen. Credits can also be tracked via a dedicated mobile app that connects users with waste dealers for direct collection.
Over 18,000 local scrap dealers are integrated into the system and can also earn green credits alongside their regular profits. They can use the mobile app to arrange pick-ups from their locations.
The collected plastic waste will be repurposed into raw materials for footpaths, road repairs, and environmentally sustainable bricks. An Eco Bricks Plant has been established in Sundar Industrial Estate to manufacture construction-grade bricks from recycled plastic, with inauguration planned for July.
Lahore generates about 500 tons of plastic waste daily, much of which currently pollutes waterways and landfills. This initiative aims to transform urban waste management by incentivizing recycling and changing public perception of plastic from waste to a valuable resource.