Pilot scheme to pay Glaswegians for recycling plastic bottles - this is how much you’ll be paid

HELPFUL and Mastercard have launched the first ever digital wallets and micropayments for the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) pilot.

How much will I get paid?

The digital innovation, designed to make it easier to collect rewards for returning single-use plastic bottles, will reward users with 20p for each bottle collected.

The scheme is set to reduce Scotland’s CO2e emissions by 160,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent of taking 83,000 cars off the road.

How does it work?

HELPFUL, the sustainable payments provider, is trialling its digital wallets and micropayments in Glasgow to challenge throwaway culture and contribute to the fight against climate change. Consumers will be digitally rewarded for every container they return through their ‘Recycle Glasgow’ app.

The introduction of the Recycle Glasgow app means that recycling single-use plastic bottles is now as simple as scanning the barcode on the bottle, returning the bottle into a smart recycling bin or handing it over to the shopkeeper and getting the 20p refund directly into their HELPFUL digital wallet.

Through a partnership with the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, consumers can download the Recycle Glasgow app from their app store and return their plastic bottle to one of the participating conveniences stores across the city of Glasgow. (Locations are available in the app.)

For every bottle recycled a tree will be planted via Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition, which seeks to restore 100 million trees by 2025.

‘Incredibly excited’

Founder of HELPFUL, Evan Michaels said: “We’re incredibly excited to help to provide a solution to enhance the upcoming DRS scheme with the introduction of digital wallets and micropayments. Aimed at everyone, but especially the young and engaged 18-34 year-olds, we will be working within the local communities and local schools to help educate and inspire action, as well as enabling recycling funds to go to schools and charitable causes.”

Scott Abrahams, senior vice president, Business Development, Mastercard UK & Ireland added: “We are thrilled to have worked with HELPFUL to develop the RECYCLE Glasgow pilot, offering environmentally-conscious consumers an easy way to help the planet by recycling single use containers –and being rewarded for it.”