Plastic waste for transport?
Date: 04-Dec-18
Author: Liam Taylor
Need to get across town? These cities let you pay in plastic bottles. Image: Steve Johnson/Unsplash
Three cities in developing nations are leading the way on plastic waste with innovative schemes that allow their citizens to keep moving.
Firstly, Istanbul’s biggest metro station has introduced reverse vending machines where one can return recyclable cans and bottles in exchange for credit on their city transportation pass (Istanbul card). The purpose is to encourage long-term recycling habits amongst residents of the city, with the government intent on scaling up the scheme over the coming months. The plan is to introduce over 100 more machines at 25 locations throughout the city before the year’s end.
Indonesia’s second biggest city, Surabaya, also announced a scheme allowing payment for public transport with plastic waste earlier this year. The city introduced a new fleet of low-emission buses in an attempt to foster greater uptake of public transport amongst residents and followed it up by allowing residents to trade in used plastic in exchange for rides on the fleet.
Finally, the Beijing Metro train service has accepted plastic bottles as payment for rides within the inner city for over five years now! Ticket machines have been combined with reverse vending machines to allow residents to trade in their plastic bottles to get a free commute.
These initiatives may seem limited in scope but the combined populations of these three cities alone is over 35 million people. That is greater than the population of Australia!
Perhaps even more significantly, Surabaya and Beijing are among the largest cities of Indonesia and China respectively. These two nations are the world’s biggest plastic polluters, accounting for almost 40% of mismanaged plastic waste globally. If we are to successfully curb the disturbing trends in marine plastic pollution, initiatives like these in developing countries will be a crucial part of that transition.
Positive Action
- Visit Recycling Near You, Australia’s biggest database of recycling information, to find out how to correctly dispose of items in your local area.
- Want to find out more about Australia’s container deposit schemes? Use our interactive map to discover more information about the container deposit scheme in your state.
Subscribe to Positive Environment News
Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.

Liam is Planet Ark's Communications Coordinator. Prior to joining Planet Ark Liam spent his time studying global environmental issues, travelling Southeast Asia on the cheap and working for a sustainable property management company in Bali, Indonesia.
Related News:
- Global energy giant to produce household battery systems in Australia »
- Mardi Gras to shine glitter free in 2019 »
- Hawaiian coral reefs showing positive signs following mass bleaching »
- Worried about our buzzing friends? Buy and urge organic »
- Landmark ruling holds promise for addressing climate change »
- Aussie posties to go green with electric trikes »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Plugged in with my favourite sustainability podcasts »
- First power to flow from world's biggest offshore wind farm »
- New Zealand supermarkets go nude and ditch plastic »
- Drinking your fill with the U.K. Refill campaign »
- Sydney wins bid to host global climate conference for women »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Back to school the right way »
- Positive steps in climate change action in 2018 »
- New tree cover bringing back the rain in Cambodia »
- The tiny archipelago blazing a trail towards sustainability »
- Maasai Olympics provides alternative to lion hunting »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - New Year's eco-resolutions »
- Deforestation in Indonesia on the decline »
- $10 billion pledged to protecting global marine environment »
- New renewable energy now as cheap as existing coal stations »
- World's largest shipping company commits to phasing out fossil fuels »
- The island of the gods takes action on plastic waste »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - How to do disposables »
- Education, Indonesia-Australia relationship key to addressing NT plastic pollution »
- DNA of famous Galapagos tortoise could yield insights into ageing »
- Spain bids farewell to coal »
- Ikea bans single-use plastics from all stores and restaurants »
- Sharks returning to flourishing Maya Bay following tourist ban »
- The 'people's seat', headed by Attenborough, speaks up on climate change »
- Australian students take to the streets in the name of their future »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Shifting to regifting »
- Brisbane Tool Library takes share economy to the next level »
- Bag ban yielding results within first three months »
- Pakistan hits billion trees goal ahead of schedule »
- From predators to protectors - the Indian village that turned to conservation »
- International community approaching nature refuge goals »
- The new zero-emissions fuel made from mankind's most common byproduct »
- 'Single-use' named 2018 word of the year »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - the courage to act »
- Queenscliff's Lauren Esplin makes a point about disposable plastics »
- Chris Fong's tennis clocks »
- Ballarat's Food is Free Laneway »
- Burleigh Heads Boomerang Bags »
- Brisbane's recycled fashion shows »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - The habit of walking »
- European parliament approves action on single-use plastics »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - If in doubt, leave it out »
- Researchers encouraged by cleanliness of Ningaloo Reef »
- Naturale pledges to end recycling labelling confusion »
- Agreement reached to safeguard Arctic ecosystems »
- SerranĂa de Chiribiquete becomes the world's largest tropical rainforest national park »
- Recycle Street is easy street for City of Gold Coast recyclers »
- A world first interactive museum for sustainable fashion »
- 'Best before' labels reach their use by date »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - a sticky environmental situation »
- New German trains to challenge diesel locomotives »
- The funniest wildlife photos of 2018 »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Preloved clothing as your first fashion option »
- California commits to 100% clean energy by 2045 »
- The teenager tackling water contamination in remote Western Australia »
- Mountain gorilla numbers on the rise in Virunga »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Bringing in the green »
- A new standard in sustainable event management »
- Ethiopian community showing potential of revegetation »
- The music group turning trash into art »
- Bin the (tea) bag »
- Ireland divests from fossil fuels in world first »
- NSW gets its own revolutionary road »
- Our Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Ditching the glossy mags »
- Sydney breathing wall a world first »
- Paperbark review: a sleepy wombat and a powerful story »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - New life for old things »
- Packaging industry moves towards better plastic recycling outcomes »
- Mexico City is turning its beltways into vertical gardens »
- A sustainable future for fashion »
- Trading trash for a hot cuppa »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Small changes with big impact »
- Secret Mozambique rainforest piques scientific interest »
- 'World's most polluted river' finally getting cleaned up »
- War on Waste is back! »
- How Cartridges 4 Planet Ark is part of the solution to plastic pollution »
- The great story behind Lousy Ink »
- Kenyan business Ocean Sole is flipping the flop from waste to art »
- Threatened koalas receive NSW rescue package »
- Scientists discover enzyme that breaks down plastic »
- Reusable sponge that soaks up oil spills »
- Super coral to resist ocean warming »
- NestlĂ© to go fully reusable and recyclable by 2025 »
- Woolworths, Coles remove plastic bags from stores ahead of schedule »
- The 'queen of green steel' launches landmark e-waste microfactory »
- True colours - how simple bin changes cut waste at ANZ Stadium »
- Dutch scientists developing smart app to measure water pollution »
- The Swedish fitness craze that's good for you and the environment »
- Victorian Government pitches in for councils facing recycling shutdowns »
- Guilt free tea-bags, frozen food and paper drinking straws »
- Planet Ark's flagship recycling info service is getting a makeover »
- Paper or plastic? »
- Woolcool turns waste wool into insulation wonder »
- An innovative solution to the problem of ocean pollution »
- New South Wales Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme hits 64 million returns »
- Cleaning up the Cove »
- Vanuatu bans plastic bags and polystyrene containers »
- A global commitment to clean oceans »
- Marine plastic pollution: a personal perspective »
- Vast new ocean reserve created off coast of Mexico »
- Plastics inspiration: reasons for hope »
- Planet Ark announced as Donation Partner for NSW Container Deposit Scheme »
- Doing well by doing good: a recipe for sustain-ability »
- Beyond plastic pollution: solutions for a small planet »
- Revolutionary eco-friendly furniture the way of the future »
- Victoria announces plastic bag ban »
- Southern states are bankrolling businesses in the War on Waste »
- HIH GreenSmart Awards celebrate Australia's most sustainable homes »
- Sunshine Coast sisters launch Australian-first sustainability project »
- Brush-tailed phascogale makes a surprise appearance on revegetated islands »
- What do Smiths, Kathmandu and Jurlique have in common? »
- Hobart City Council going further to phase out plastic »
- India's renewable energy target to create 300,000 jobs »
- Australia is one step closer to being plastic bag free »
- World's largest crop of tequila plant set to fuel green energy in far north Queensland »
- ABC's War on Waste creates unprecedented demand for sustainable coffee cups »
- Wood's all good for Tassie after state government announces wood encouragement policy »
- 81-Year-Old Lebanese woman inspires a nation to recycle »
- Painting a Brighter Environmental Future »
- Answering the Call to Connect With Nature »
- Planet Ark pays tribute to former Head of Campaigns, Brad Gray »
- Shell Recycling - Big Gains From Small Things »
- Scientist Discover Massive New Forests »
- Wriggly Solution To Plastic Pollution: The Caterpillar That Eats Plastic »
- 'Creature Compost' - Zoo Reduces Landfill and Generates Income »
- The Awful Truth About Nappies & Recycling »
- The Project's Bid to Ban the Bag »
- Seabin »
- This South Australian School Has Plans to Eliminate Campus Waste Bins in Seven Years »
- Australia's Biggest E-Waste Processing Plant to Open »
- Indigenous Communities Embrace Renewable Energy »
- What if Rivers Could Sue? »
- Is the Supermarket of the Future Plastic Free? »
- These Googly-Eyed Garbage Gobblers Are Cleaning Our Waterways »
- New Technology Turns Beach Plastic into Treasure »
- Tokyo Set to Take Sydney's Green Olympic Medal »
- Disposing of Disposable Plastic in Delhi »
- Approval to Shred Massive Tyre Stockpile in Tasmania »
- Manchester's Tree Change: From an Industrial to a Green Revolution »
- Queensland Councils Join the Wood Encouragement Movement »
- Sticky Fruit Labels Get The Laser Treatment »
- Unilever Commits to 100% Recyclable Plastic packaging »
- World's Biggest Beach Clean-up »
- Canada Announces First National Carbon Price »
- Australian Solar Technology Used to Help China Reach Clean Energy Target »
- Launch of Positive Environment News »