Beijing: Pay Your Metro Ticket With Plastic Bottles
A quick reminder: For over two years, it has been possible to pay for your transit ticket in Beijing with plastic bottles.
A quick reminder: For over two years, it has been possible to pay for your transit ticket in Beijing with plastic bottles.
Since 2012, the Chinese capital has offered the possibility to purchase a metro ticket with used plastic bottles. This initiative was established to reduce the plastic waste in the city.
Beijing is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Pollution and litter have caused the capital to experience a significant drop in tourism. This innovation aims to raise residents' awareness about environmental respect and perhaps encourage them to favour public transport over their personal vehicles. These new ticketing systems also attempt to offer a healthier image to the city and attract visitors once again.
How Does It Work?
The plastic recycling machines were installed by Incom Corporation in several metro stations throughout the capital.
Its operation is very straightforward—simply insert a plastic bottle at the designated opening to be credited the amount onto your transport card. Each bottle inserted undergoes a reduction of one-third of its size. Each machine installed has a capacity of 400 bottles. These are emptied regularly.
Keep in mind that you'll need to insert up to 20 plastic bottles to obtain the value of a metro ticket. The machine will not accept other waste types such as paper, glass, or cardboard. Non-plastic waste is automatically rejected.
These machines were also expected to appear in public spaces, schools, and shopping centres. They were also set to be improved to accept other waste such as cans.
Although this invention isn't the most profitable initiative, it has the merit of raising urban awareness about recycling.
Feel free to share your experiences with these recycling machines with us ;)
Frequently asked questions
You need to insert up to 20 plastic bottles into the recycling machines to obtain the value of a metro ticket in Beijing. These machines, installed by Incom Corporation, are present in several stations throughout the Chinese capital.
The recycling machines in Beijing's metro only accept plastic bottles. Other types of waste such as paper, glass, or cardboard are automatically rejected. Improvements were planned to also accept cans.
This initiative was launched in 2012 in Beijing by Incom Corporation, in partnership with the capital's metro network. The goal was to reduce plastic waste and raise awareness among residents about recycling.
The recycling machines were installed in several Beijing metro stations. There were also plans to deploy them in public spaces, schools, and shopping centres throughout the city.
Launched in 2012, this initiative was still ongoing in 2014 at the time of this article's publication. For current information about the programme, it's advisable to check with local authorities or Beijing's metro network before your trip.
