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RETAIL · RECYCLING

What Is a Reverse Vending Machine?

A reverse vending machine (RVM) takes back empty drinks containers, such as plastic bottles, cans and glass, and gives the user a refund or reward. It identifies each container by its barcode and shape, checks it is eligible, then crushes, sorts and stores it. RVMs are the collection point for deposit return schemes.

01

The Short Answer

In a deposit return scheme, a small deposit is added to the price of a drink and refunded when the empty container is returned. The UK is introducing a deposit return scheme, which means many more RVMs in shops. Modern machines use cameras and AI to recognise containers quickly and reject fakes, which needs capable embedded computers inside.

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    Vision system Cameras and AI recognise containers by shape, colour and label.
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    Barcode reading Confirms the product and its deposit value.
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    Embedded computer Runs recognition, controls the mechanics and logs returns.
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    Connectivity Reports volumes and refunds to the scheme operator.
02

Why It Matters

The COM Express reverse vending case study shows deep learning on Intel Iris Xe graphics speeding up container recognition, and our OpenVINO FAQ explains the software. See our work in retail.