A supermarket has lodged plans to build bottle and can return units to get ready for a Scottish Government 20p container charge.
Aldi has applied for planning permission to erect the self-service recycling machines in Kilmarnock’s Netherton Street and Rigg Street in Stewarton.
The company wants to build the facilities in the car parks at both stores.
Customers would feed the empty drinks containers into the machines and get money back.
It is part of the retail operator’s plans to gear up for Scotland’s deposit return scheme. This will see customers pay 20p extra when they buy a beverage in a single-use container from July 1, 2022.
The cash will be refunded when they take back empty steel and aluminium cans, plastic and glass bottles.
An Aldi statement read: “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.
“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.”
Aldi’s recycling machines would have four recycle points for glass, cans and plastic.
The company expects its stores to take in 3500 containers each daily.
East Ayrshire Council has not made a decision on the Aldi planning applications yet.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has been given powers to enforce the deposit return scheme.
It aims to to help improve recycling, reduce litter and help achieve the nation’s climate change targets.
