Article

PepsiCo deploying Greenopolis recycling kiosks

Beverage company plans to roll out 3,000 Dream Machine recycling kiosks in Southern California.

April 23, 2010 by Matt Cunningham — Editor, NetWorld Alliance

The Greenopolis recycling kiosk that won best of show at this year's KioskCom and Digital Signage Expo is about to become a much more familiar sight.

Beverage giant PepsiCo, Inc. has announced that it is partnering with Waste Management to deploy 3,000 Greenopolis kiosks in California. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the first 500 kiosks will be installed at gas stations and other high-traffic areas starting in late May.

The Greenopolis kiosks, now branded as Pepsi Dream Machines, offer the same award-winning functionality as the Greenopolis kiosks already deployed in 75 locations. A barcode reader identifies the recyclable item, then on-screen prompts direct the user to drop it into one of two bins. The system tracks users, and offers points toward prizes, coupons and other incentives in return for regular recycling. The details of the incentives have yet to be announced, but Jeremy Cage, PepsiCo's CMO, told the Chronicle that it's what is needed to boost recycling of the cans and bottles used to package the company's products.

"What it comes down to, consumers need something more than, 'I'm saving the planet.' There has to be something in it for them, something in it in terms of material reward and in terms of emotional reward," he told the paper.

For Nanonation, the software developer behind the recycling kiosks' functionality, the announcement is wonderful news.

"It's a fantastic development," said Bryan Fairfield, Nanonation's vice president of sales. "We'll have the opportunity to certainly expand our footprint nationwide."

Fairfield noted that the kiosks needed little modification to fit PepsiCo's requirements. "It's really easy to adapt," he said of the kiosks' interface software. "That evolution was really easy to make."

The Chronicle reports that PepsiCo plans — but has not announced the details of — a donation program that will funnel some of the proceeds from the kiosks to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. And Fairfield said that the deployment — with its incentives and charitable aspect — may soon be followed by other high-profile deployments by other companies.

"There are a couple of other deployments in the works. Some really exciting things," he said, though he was not at liberty to provide details. "They're really things that could help make an impact on the recycling movement."