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Bring us your bottles

Published:  28 July, 2010

One of the leading South African alcoholic drinks producers, Distell, has launched a glass recycling scheme to encourage customers to return their empties.

The 'Give Back Get Back' initiative rewards retailers and consumers for returning their bottles. Trade customers receive between from 80c to R1,50 per bottle.  Retailers then pay their customers for bottles they return.

Frans Booysen, who heads up the campaign, said: "Retailers can elect to pay all or part of what they receive, to the people who bring back bottles bearing the logo. Obviously, the more they pay their customers, the greater the uptake by the public and the greater the success of the campaign."

Returned bottles are cleaned, their labels removed, washed and rinsed, then sent for refilling.

With glass prices on the up, the recycling scheme could lead to cost cutting with some glass recyclable up to 10 times.

The scheme is operating in South Africa only.

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