Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Lotus’s Malaysia), formerly known as Tesco Malaysia, is further strengthening its environmental sustainability efforts through the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM), in collaboration with green-friendly start-up, KLEAN.

Located in Lotus’s Penang E-Gate, the KLEAN RVM enables environmentally conscious Penang-ites to recycle their used (and empty) plastic bottles as well as aluminium cans. By recycling the used plastic bottles and cans, they will also be able to earn KLEAN points which can be redeemed for Lotus’s e-vouchers.

“As part of our constant commitment to sustainable business practices here in Lotus’s Malaysia, we are introducing a convenient new way of recycling. We have chosen Penang to start this journey for the same reason we have chosen Penang as the starting point for our No-Single Use Plastic initiative which began on 1 July 2021- as a recognition of the Penang State’s progressive stance in accelerating the green effort in the country by being the first state to phase out single-use plastic bags back in 2009,” said Lotus’s Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Hanim Hamdan.

“To create more awareness of the RVM and its benefits to the planet as well as to our customers' pockets via KLEAN Points and Rewards Platform, we will also embark on an RVM mobile roadshow where will bring the RVM across several states later next month. We hope that eventually with the right education and support, the rest of Malaysia will also adopt Penang’s environmentally conscious way of living,” she said.

KLEAN Co-Founder & CEO, Dato’ Dr Nicholas Boden is excited about the prospects of further collaboration with Lotus’s in the future.

“We are proud to be working with Lotus’s in leading the behavioural change of Malaysians towards recycling. By enabling the community to turn trash to cash via our AI-Driven Reverse Vending Machines, we are diverting these items away from landfills and our oceans,” he said.

“We know that incentivization of recycling encourages recycling rates of at least 80% in countries that have a similar scheme (often Government legislated) – with our KLEAN digital ecosystem we’re excited to bring this to Malaysia. We’re looking forward to a future rollout of our KLEAN Reverse Vending Machines at more Lotus’s stores as well as convenient locations across Malaysia.”

The installation of the KLEAN RVM, as well as Lotus’s ongoing No-Single Use Plastic initiative in stores, are in full support of the government’s Roadmap to Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030 as well as Lotus’s Malaysia’s parent company, Charoen Pokphand Group sustainability business principles.