Investor Relations
Welcome to the Pick n Pay Group
Investor Relations
Welcome to the Pick n Pay Group
Get cash – in the form of Smart Shopper points - for your (recyclable) trash using Pick n Pay's in-store reverse vending machines
Pick n Pay is rolling out more Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) in stores, and has now integrated Smart Shopper, allowing customers to earn points for placing their recyclable waste in the machine and spend them in stores on groceries, airtime, and other items of their choosing.
Steffen Burrows, Pick n Pay Sustainability Manager, says this is making it easier and more rewarding for customers to recycle.
Sixteen new machines have been rolled out to Gauteng stores, bringing the total to 30 RVMs nationwide.
Since launching as a pilot in 2018, the RVM initiative has diverted over 480,000 items - weighing more than 34,000 kg - from landfills. Each machine can store between 650 and 750 waste items and accept recyclable items such as PET plastic bottles, milk bottle containers, and cans.
Customers select rewards through Imagined Earth, the partner who helped design the machines and manage the rewards through their app. To date, R40,000 worth of rewards have been issued to customers, with airtime and data among the most popular choices. With Smart Shopper points now a reward option, customers will earn Smart Shopper points which can be used to buy groceries, which wasn't previously an offering.
Customers receive 100% of the recyclable value of the item deposited, the same amount any recycler would receive from a waste management facility. On average, customers earn up to 10c per item recycled, but the reward value is based on the item's weight and type of material.
"This initiative encourages a culture of recycling by showing that waste has value. The RVMs incentivise customers to rethink their waste and recycle instead of discarding it in bins. We want to create education that there remains a value attached to an item, even once they have finished with the product," says Burrows.
"With the reverse vending machines now integrated into the Smart Shopper programme, customers can actively create a sustainable loop – reintegrating waste into the economy – and earn real rewards for their efforts," says Justin Needham, Managing Director of Imagined Earth.
"While the reward per item may seem small, it adds up quickly," adds Burrows. "This is a win-win for customers and the environment – customers earn cashback in our stores now through Smart Shopper, and we assist in reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfills."
Strong customer engagement is driving the expansion, with the volume of items recycled growing by 50% over the past six months. The RVM in a Pick n Pay store in Pretoria sees between 8,000 and 15,000 items being recycled a month. RVMs are strategically placed at the front of participating stores, making recycling accessible during a regular shop.
The expansion of RVMs has been made possible by partners. Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has joined arms with Pick n Pay to drive awareness of environmental stewardship by adding 16 more RVMs to stores. The other RVMs were in collaboration with Polyco.
"The placements of these RVMs in stores are designed to transform the way we think about recycling. They raise awareness, inspire action, and encourage a shift in mindset toward sustainability. As momentum builds for a South African Deposit Return System, initiatives like this bring us closer to making that vision a reality. Exciting times are ahead for South Africa's recycling landscape," concludes Needham.
Pick n Pay hopes to roll out more RVMs so that one in three stores offers the facility to customers.
How do the RVMs work?
Note to editors:
The Reverse Vending Machines can be found at the following Pick n Pay stores:
New stores in Gauteng:
Existing stores: