Newmarket North councillor Janne Jarvis on West Suffolk’s reverse vending machine scheme

Citizen power in the fight against climate change. Can pure people power really fight such a big issue?

One Newmarket councillor certainly thinks so. And he is doing it.

Janne Jarvis, ward representative for Newmarket North and town councillor for the Studlands, is passionate about the rollout of reverse vending machines (RVMs), which has taken West Suffolk by storm.

With the innovation now in Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Haverhill giving residents a chance to return the likes of bottles and cans, Janne hopes to bring the popularity of the scheme in this country to the levels of Finland, where his heritage lies.

It stemmed from a walk through Cambridge. Seeing the litter everywhere, ‘defiling a beautiful city’ as Janne put it, he decided to act. Having struggled to gain traction as a private citizen, he entered the fiery political domain to push his ideas further, and was elected to his West Suffolk Council role on May 4, 2023.

“As an Anglo-Finn, I recalled Finland in comparison, where recycling is second nature and reverse vending machines are everywhere,” he said. “I couldn’t understand why we didn’t have these machines, so I decided to act and make an RVM scheme in the UK a reality.”

“I was pleasantly surprised when West Suffolk Council backed the scheme without hesitation. In February 2024, our pioneering recycling scheme was launched, introducing RVMs in Newmarket, Bury and Haverhill. Our initiative has made history and came about more than three years ahead of a planned national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

“I had no idea that my journey would be so weird and wonderful before I started, but my experience has made me even more convinced of the importance of citizen power in the fight against climate change.”

A DRS has already been implemented successfully in more than 30 countries. Under these schemes, you pay a small deposit when buying items which is refunded when the containers are returned. The UK’s national scheme will roll out in October 2027.

And there’s a need for it. Norway rolled out its DRS scheme in 1999, and now has a 92.3 per cent return rate. The UK? Our recycling rates for plastic bottles? Drop that score by 30 points.

Under the current programme in West Suffolk – which will soon be expanded to Ipswich, Sudbury, Cambridge and Northamptonshire – recyclers can redeem rewards from retailers using the Trovr app.

As Janne puts its, when the scheme goes national, putting bottles in the bin will be, essentially, throwing away money. By giving out the rewards under the West Suffolk initiative, using the RVMs is incentivised, so when the national rollout comes it will be second nature.

He said: “This revolution had to start somewhere. We need clean, sorted bottles and cans if we are to close the loop, increase recycling and move towards circularity. This is about changing our behaviour which requires being proactive.

“Besides, RVMs are sexier than blue bins.”

But why should people buy into the scheme? In a time where climate-scepticism is rife, the conversation over the electric car remains a conversation, and pioneering wind and solar energy schemes are regularly questioned, can recycling really be pushed to the fore?

For Janne, the answer is simple.

“Whether one is a climate change sceptic or a believer, surely, we all want a cleaner environment?

“A DRS has the potential to radically transform our public spaces, restoring the natural and urban landscape to something far more beautiful. It will also significantly reduce plastic pollution which defiles our oceans and biosphere.

“I think, as a society, we can all get behind this.”

And in the political domain at least, it would appear Janne’s beliefs are bearing fruit.

The recycling schemes have received cross-party support, with colleagues seemingly adopting a healthy ‘planet first, party second’ approach.

In particular, Janne holds firm that educational settings are key to the adoption of the RVMs as a basic tenet of life. One of the Bury machines is in West Suffolk College.

He said schools are prime opportunities – a way to reach both students and parents alike – and normalise recycling behaviour early. He even suggested schools could become voluntary return points, offering them a chance to keep the deposits to fund educational initiatives when funding is scarce.

But where from here? West Suffolk, Sudbury, Ipswich, Northamptonshire and Cambridge – not exactly nationwide. But a conversation starter certainly.

Already he has attracted national press coverage for his efforts.

“I believe that West Suffolk Council is in a strong position to inform other local authorities about the national roll out,” Janne said.

But what about the hallowed House of Commons? Could he inspire powerful elected members?

“I would be honoured to address parliament about what we have achieved and what we can do to help speed up the process.”

Such a platform would no doubt amplify his cause and make the call for RVMs louder as he pushes to bottle up recycling fervour.

“I did liaise with Matt Hancock about this scheme on Newmarket High Street in 2022, and it was his complete lack of engagement and disinterest that made me even more determined to make the scheme a reality.”

So people power fighting climate change? West Suffolk has that one covered.