The new reverse vending machines (RVM) allow students to recycle while giving back to the USF community.
Courtesy of USF
By Aubrey Carr
It’s become even easier to keep USF green with the new addition of reverse vending machines (RVM) found around the St. Petersburg campus.
The RVMs are made possible through funding by Coca-Cola as part of its “World Without Waste” initiative, a program that aims to recycle one can for every can sold by 2030.
In addition to its assistance sustainability efforts, Coca-Cola has agreed to donate five cents to the Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry –– up to $5,000 a year –– for every can or bottle recycled at a RVM.
“I think this will provide a positive impact to combat food insecurity for our USF community,” Student Body Vice President Jillian Wilson said in a press release for the new machines.
There are six RVMs –– three on USF’s Tampa campus and two on the St. Petersburg campus. Currently, there are no RVMs on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, but the campus is under consideration for future expansion of the program.
Though the machines are owned and managed by Coca-Cola, any recyclable brand of can or bottle can be donated to the RVMs. The containers do not need to be clean, but they do need to be made of plastic or aluminum –– glass bottles will be returned to the user.
Each machine can handle up to 900 crushed containers and the progress of each machine is tracked monthly to ensure the maximum donation amount for the pantry.
At the end of each month, the used bottles and cans are sorted and collected by Atlas, Coca-Cola’s subcontractor, where the containers are cleaned and prepared for repurpose.
The installation of RVMs is a rewarding moment for USF’s environmentally mindful students.
“The Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) is always happy to see sustainable initiatives on campus,” said Brianna Douglas, chair of St. Petersburg campus’s SGEF. “The new reverse-recycling machines should help make it easier for students to avoid creating waste and that is always a good thing!”
Possible future plans for the RVM project include the addition of student ID card readers for tracking purposes and the expansion of machine locations.
Reverse recycling machines can be found at:
**Cooper Hall – outside in the vending alcove, Tampa campus
**The Hub – outside the main entrance, Tampa campus
** Juniper Hall – first floor, Tampa campus
**Marshall Student Center – first floor by Panera, Tampa campus
**University Student Center – lobby, St. Petersburg campus
**Bayboro/Davis Breezeway, St. Petersburg campus
