He was fed up waiting in line to recycle bottles. So he created an app

Fed up waiting in long queues to get rid of your beverage containers, only to end up misplacing the voucher? Or have you given up completely on keeping stuffed bags full of cans and bottles, only to throw them away in recycling?

Wish there was a way to donate your recyclable items hassle-free? There’s now a mobile app for that.

The app, Botl, makes it easier for people to donate their containers to local charities or individuals looking to make a little extra money, without the hassle of queuing up to get access to a BCRS recycling machine.

Many NGOs and animal rights’ activists already reach out to the public to collect donated containers. Now the app will help facilitate that.

The app is the brainchild of French web developer, Alexandre Bourgeus, who, like many others, was tired of waiting in long queues or not finding the time to drop off the containers.

He also noticed that many streets were littered with bottles and cans, even though they could easily be recycled.

“I wanted to create a solution that makes recycling even more accessible to everyone, while also supporting the community by giving pickers a way to earn a little extra or assist local charities,” the 33-year-old told Times of Malta.

Introduced in 2022, the Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) requires customers to pay an additional 10c per beverage container, whether it’s a plastic bottle, glass or aluminium can. The 10c refund is received in the form of a coupon when the empty containers are disposed of at one of the BCRS’s reverse vending machines.

The deposit is refunded through a coupon that can be used in supermarkets or grocery stores. The scheme has helped a great deal to recycle beverage containers but also has been a source of frustration among many who have to queue up to get refunds. Many often complain about machines being out of order.

How does it work?

On Botl, users can sign up as either a ‘dropper’ or a ‘picker’. A user who applies as a dropper needs to fill in a form with their details, address, date and the number of bags of containers.

Once the request is submitted, a ‘picker’ will be notified and contacted via in-app messaging to confirm the donor’s availability.

The picker will then come to collect the bottles, free of charge, and from the donors’ side, the recycling is done.

The pickers will drop off the bottles in the BCRS machines and keep the vouchers. The picker will also be able to keep track of the number of bottles recycled through the app.

He described the free app as a ‘community app’ that generates no income.

While the app was only launched on the Apple Store last week and is currently in ‘test’ mode, Bourgeus has already received positive feedback and interest.

He hopes the number of users will pick up once the app is approved for Android users. And he is hoping to find a partner who will invest in the app, as Bourgeus has plans to make the app more interesting to use and interactive through the introduction of a ‘leaderboard’.

“Users can compete by tracking how many bottles they’ve donated, with the possibility of perks or rewards in the future,” he said.

“It’s a great way to motivate people to recycle more and create a sense of friendly competition.”

He hopes to also create reusable bags that would replace plastic bags that are often dumped on the side after containers are recycled in the BCRS machines.

“Every citizen must do everything possible to keep Malta clean. As for the rest, the community will decide the app’s future.”

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