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Sparsholt College Hampshire incorporates Andover College. Below are news items from both Campuses.

Sparsholt College pioneers new recycling system

Thursday 27 November 2008

Sparsholt College Hampshire is leading the way in the recycling of plastic bottles and cans. It is the first organisation in the UK to take delivery of a reverse vending machine which rewards students who recycle with cash vouchers.

For each acceptable item recycled, the machine issues a voucher to the value of 5p which can then be redeemed at any College restaurant, bar or shop.

The College took delivery of the recycling machine from Reverse Vending Corporation on 4 November and it was an immediate success with students queuing to recycle their used drinks containers in exchange for a deposit return voucher to spend at the College.

Project Manager Debbie Carless is responsible for the introduction of the reverse vending machine to the College. Debbie said: "I was so excited when I found the reverse vending system during my research. By investing in this unique machine Sparsholt College is taking recycling seriously. It's a great idea and it works."

The installation of the reverse vending machine is one of many initiatives that the College has introduced to be proactive in supporting, encouraging and rewarding good practice. Other initiatives include:

• Recycling bins placed in halls of residence for cans, plastics, glass, paper and cardboard.
• Two glass bins located near to the halls of residence and a canteen.
• 10 recycling stations located around the Sparsholt Campus for recycling general and landfill waste, plastic bottles and containers, drinks cans and paper.
• Internal recycling bins located in all office areas, study centres and libraries for paper, envelopes, newspapers and magazines.
• A central waste collection area where additional segregation of wood, metals and other materials are undertaken.
• A centralised information point on the student intranet site containing details about what can be recycled and where, as well as
  - A swap shop area for students and staff to
    advertise things they don't want anymore
    but are too good to throw away
  - A place to request additional bins
  - A place to suggest good ideas
  - Links to web sites with related content
  - Videos of interesting articles to do with recycling

Steve Davies, Vice Principal of Sparsholt College said: “We’re thrilled to be the first in the UK to advocate reverse vending recycling. It’s a great initiative which has already proved popular with students and demonstrates our commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Steve Stothard, Senior VP and Chief Technology Officer from the Reverse Vending Corporation said: “We are delighted with the pioneering decision of Sparsholt College in helping the environment by introducing the first ‘internal Deposit Return system’ in the UK. Reverse Vending Recycling is proven technology being used for over three decades in continental European deposit markets where there are mandatory deposits on beverage containers. Currently, there are political discussions in Scotland about introducing a national Deposit Scheme but Sparsholt College will always be recognised as the “FIRST” to achieve this – well done.”