The supermarket chain pledged to donate €1,000 to Barnardos every month during the trial.
In a new initiative to encourage recycling and to fundraise for a worthy cause, Aldi has introduced its first ever "reverse vending machine" in Ireland on Thursday (17 February).
The machine is on trial in Aldi's Mitchelstown store in Cork, with plans to expand the trial to both Mallow and Naas as well.
Each machine is capable of collecting and storing up to 3,000 plastic bottles or 12,000 cans at any given time.
If a reverse vending machine was introduced to every store in Ireland, that would be an estimated 146 million bottles and cans recycled every year.
Customers are being encouraged to return PET plastic bottles up to three litres and aluminium drinks cans if they wish to use the reverse vending machine
Not only are the machines useful for recycling, they will also act as a fundraiser for charity.
Barnardos, a charity to provide aid to vulnerable children, will receive a €1,000 donation on a monthly basis during the trial for the machine.
“We’re delighted to kickstart our reverse vending machine initiative today here in Mitchelstown with a monthly donation of €1,000 going to our charity partner Barnardos for the duration of the trial," said Colin Breslin, Regional Managing Director at Aldi Ireland.
"We’ve decided to reinvent the idea of reverse vending, enabling customers to give to a good cause like Barnardos who do amazing work with vulnerable children and families. It’s a simple concept that makes recycling attractive to shoppers, benefits the environment, and gives back to society.”
Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly welcomed the donations from the initiative.
“We are delighted to benefit from Aldi’s new recycling trial of a reverse vending machine," she said.
"It will help make a real difference to the vulnerable children and families we work with, because childhood lasts a lifetime.
"Barnardos has been supporting children and families for 60 years, and we know the impact €1,000 per month generated from this inventive scheme will have on the lives of children across Ireland.”
