Ayrshire supermarket in bid to extend shop but axe car parking spaces

An Ayrshire supermarket could be the first in the region to install a reverse vending machine for customers to return bottles under extension plans.

Aldi in Saltcoats has launched proposals for the recycling structure to be installed ahead of the return deposit scheme expected to be rolled out in Scotland in July next year.

Plans lodged with North Ayrshire Council last week show that the German supermarket would sacrifice up to 20 spaces in the Braes Road car park it shares with an Iceland store to accommodate a range of changes.

Aldi want to extend the 'weather shelter' at the front of the shop, and reduce car park spaces from 130 to 110 to enable the installation of a return deposit scheme and install electric vehicle charging points.

Plans submitted by the store say that each customer facing unit is capable of collecting up to 60 containers per minute.

How the reversible vending machine could look (North Ayrshire Council/Aldi)

And at the end of each deposit a customer will be recompensed at a rate of 20p per unit deposited.

Bosses said that it won't be viable for workers to collect plastic and glass bottles manually.

The report states: "Aldi has a high volume of footfall and in line with other larger retailers it would not be viable to accept returns manually.

"As such an automated reverse vending machine will be installed on all of our premises to allow for automatic returns to take place.

Plans for the extension at the store (North Ayrhsire Council/Aldi)

"This will provide an efficient and user friendly return point encompassing state of the art recycling technology to drive an increased uptake in the scheme from consumers and support its overall success."

All returned bottles will be transferred to the store's warehouse by store staff and there will be no unit side collections by vehicles, the report adds.

The machine will also only operate during existing shop hours.

Under plans revealed almost two years ago, shoppers will pay an extra 20p on their favourite bottled and canned drinks as part of a nationwide drive to improve recycling rates and protect the environment.

People will get that money back when they hand back their ‘empties’ to shops and pubs, or use reverse vending machines.

Green groups and campaigners have welcomed the scheme which would be a first for the United Kingdom.

North Ayrshire Council planners will rule on Aldi's plans at a future date.

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