Volkswagen thinks blue to boost battery recycling

Russia – Volkswagen and advertising agency DDB Russia have created a new kind of eco-currency for the car manufacturer’€™s Think Blue campaign, installing a specially-made vending machine in different parts of Russia that accepts only batteries as payment in a bid to boost recycling.Volkswagen says just one of these machines collected more than 8000 batteries during the first month after installation. Consumers received various incentives to use the vending machines, such as an anti-stress ball, a bottle of water or an eco T-shirt.
Over 15 million batteries are thrown away every single year in Russia’€™s big cities, with Moscow facing a particularly severe problem. It is hoped that the quirky Think Blue campaign will set ‘€˜a new standard for technologically progressive, environmentally friendly products in order to shape a more sustainable future’€™, says Volkswagen. The company has pledged to cut waste at its factories by 25% by 2018 following a projected investment totalling up to US$ 64 million.