Recycling Cans and Bottles
In the Netherlands, there is a container deposit on all plastic bottles (large and small) for soft drinks and water. Since April 1, 2023, there is also a container deposit on cans. You can identify these containers by the container deposit logo. The goal is to collect 90% of all cans and bottles separately for recycling in the coming years. This will reduce a significant amount of litter and waste. To achieve this goal, VU Amsterdam is participating in the Container Deposit Higher Education pilot programme.
Collection Points at VU Amsterdam
You will find the vending machine in the Main Building, opposite coffee corner Main Street on the ground floor. Hand in your bottle or can here and scan the QR code with your phone to get your deposit back. All you need is a smartphone with the Tikkie app.
You can also choose to donate your deposit to charity. This can be done either via the vending machine or via the donation bin located right next to it. Both are clearly identified by the deposit logo. All proceeds go to the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF.
The placement of the deposit vending machine is in cooperation with Deposit Money Netherlands and is part of a pilot conducted among higher education institutions. VU Amsterdam is one of the participants in the pilot and one of the first universities with a deposit vending machine. The aim is to encourage young people to return their deposit packaging and thus increase the collection rate. In fact, all collected bottles and cans will be recycled. The pilot will run throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.