Machine Types
Reverse Vending Machine (RVM)
Term from the vending glossary
Reverse Vending Machine — a container return machine that identifies single-use and reusable containers, sorts them and dispenses the deposit refund as a receipt.
A return machine identifies single-use and reusable containers, verifies their deposit liability, crushes or sorts them, and issues a receipt. Recognition operates via container shape, barcode, and on many machines via a security feature on the label, designed to prevent counterfeits and duplicate redemptions.
For the operator, the critical metric is not recognition rate, but compaction ratio: it determines how often the collection bin must be emptied and therefore labor costs. The second key consideration is point-of-sale integration, because a receipt that the cashier will not accept creates exactly the discussion that the machine should prevent.