Commuters in Rome are exchanging used plastic bottles for Metro and bus tickets under a scheme the city’s mayor has called a first for Europe. Empty bottles can be fed into machines at three Metro stations that will in return load an app with credit to travel on public transport. Each bottle will earn five cents, meaning 30 bottles gets a free €1.50 ticket. “We can claim to be the first big European capital to introduce this innovation,” said Virginia Raggi, the mayor, who has fought against fare dodging by commuters. “This way we give an incentive to buy a ticket by recycling.” Officials hope that the scheme will help to alleviate the rubbish crisis in the city, which has poorly run collection services.
Rome has launched a scheme to exchange used plastic bottles for bus and Metro tickets. The initiative is part of the city's campaign against litter, which it says costs €1 billion (£842 million) every year. Mayor Virginia Raggi has fought fare dodging in the city and said the scheme gave people an incentive to buy a ticket. The city’s residents have been reportedly reluctant to use large rubbish bins for plastic bottles after a health warning, and as a result bagged waste is accumulating in the city.