The question

Once Reverse Vending Machines are deployed as DRS return points, how much day‑to‑day work do they actually create for store staff, and how can that workload be integrated into existing retail operations without adding a dedicated FTE?

The direct answer

A modern RVM is designed to run largely autonomously. In normal operation, the workload for store staff concentrates around four routine tasks:

• Helping customers in the first few weeks after launch.
• Replacing voucher printer rolls when they run out.
• Exchanging full bags when the machine signals that capacity is reached.
• Performing a short daily clean and responding to occasional misuse alerts.

In time terms, this typically means minutes per day per machine, not hours. The key is to embed these tasks into your existing duty routines (front‑of‑house, cleaning, waste handling), with clear ownership and simple SOPs, especially during the initial 3–4 week “settling in” period.

Customer support: the first 3–4 weeks

In markets where RVMs are new, the main “extra” workload is at the very beginning:

• For roughly the first three to four weeks after installation, store staff need to be visibly available to:
  • Show customers where the RVM is.
  • Demonstrate the basic steps: insert, finish session, collect voucher.
  • Explain any rules (what is accepted, what is not, how vouchers are redeemed).

Experience from other countries suggests that once customers are familiar with the process, the requirement for direct staff support drops sharply. After the initial period, questions tend to cluster around:

• Unusual items (for example “why was this particular bottle rejected?”).
• Edge cases (for example foreign containers, damaged barcodes).

The simplest way to manage this is to:

• Brief front‑of‑house teams thoroughly before go‑live.
• Designate one or two “RVM champions” per store who can be called when the team encounters a question they cannot answer.
• Use simple in‑store signage to reduce repeated explanations.

Replacing voucher printer rolls

Every RVM equipped with a voucher printer will, from time to time, require a paper roll change. The process is straightforward and, once staff are trained, takes around one minute:

1. The RVM raises a “low paper” alert as the roll approaches its end.

2. Store staff can decide whether to:

   • Change the roll immediately (maximising assurance that no voucher will be interrupted), or
   • Wait until the roll is fully used, then change it at the next convenient moment.

3. The change itself involves:

   • Opening the printer compartment.
   • Removing the empty roll.
   • Inserting the new roll (best practice is to store at least one spare roll inside the RVM cabinet so staff do not have to go searching).
   • Closing the door and confirming the change, usually by entering a store‑assistant code on the touch screen.

Operationally, you can treat this like changing paper in a till or a self‑checkout: it is a short, regular task that can be picked up by any trained team member.

Emptying bags: 80% full and full

Container collection is the most visible part of RVM operations, and it is where ergonomic design makes a real difference to staff workload and safety.

A typical pattern is:

• The RVM monitors bin levels and issues:
  • A pre‑alert when the bin reaches around 80% full (to allow staff to plan).
  • A critical alert when logical capacity is reached and emptying must be done.

For a well‑designed RVM, a bag exchange should take around five minutes, and the sequence is:

1. Open the service door when the machine is in a safe state.

2. Remove the full bag:

   • On Recyclever machines, the design avoids the need to lift the full bag vertically, which is important for health & safety and staff comfort.
   • The bag can be slid or rolled out rather than “dead‑lifted”.

3. Fit a new empty bag in place.

4. Seal the full bag with the numbered tag provided by the DRS operator.

5. On the touch screen:

   • Enter the seal/tag code so the bag can be tracked through the DRS chain.
   • Enter the staff user code to record who performed the operation.

6. Close the door; the RVM returns to operational status.

7. Move the full bag to the designated back‑room or collection area.

From an operations perspective:

• The 80% alert allows you to schedule these five‑minute tasks into natural lulls in trading.
• In higher‑volume stores, the bag‑change frequency may justify allocating responsibility to specific shifts (for example closing shift always checks and empties where needed).

Daily superficial cleaning

To protect reliability, hygiene and customer perception, a light daily clean is recommended. This is typically:

• A quick wipe of the conveyor and visible infeed area.
• A check and wipe of easily‑accessible sensors and surfaces that may collect dust, labels or sticky residues.
• A quick visual inspection to confirm there are no obstructions or foreign objects.

This takes around five minutes and can be integrated into:

• End‑of‑day or start‑of‑day cleaning routines.
• The same checklist that covers self‑checkouts, kiosks, and other front‑of‑house equipment.

Deep cleaning or technical interventions remain the responsibility of service engineers under your maintenance agreement.

Handling misuse and repeated fraud attempts

Most customers use RVMs as intended. However, patterns of misuse or attempts to “beat the machine” can emerge, especially immediately after a DRS is introduced or when incentives are high.

To manage this:

• RVMs can be configured to send alerts to the fleet portal (and optionally to store or central teams) when:
  • Unusual error patterns occur.
  • Suspicious movement patterns (for example repeated pullbacks) are detected.
  • Excessive numbers of rejected items indicate deliberate misuse.

Responding to these alerts will require some store or central resource:

• At store level:

  • A team member may need to check whether someone is physically interfering with the machine.
  • Signage or staff guidance may be updated if a recurring misunderstanding is observed.

• At central level:

  • Operations or loss‑prevention teams may review data from the fleet portal.
  • Recurrent issues in particular locations may trigger additional training or layout changes.

This is not a constant workload, but it should be planned for—particularly in the first months of a new scheme or promotion.

Integrating RVM tasks into existing store operations

For a property or operations director, the question is not just “how many minutes per task?” but “where do those tasks live in the operating model?” In practice:

• Customer support (first 3–4 weeks):

  • Fits naturally with front‑of‑house and customer‑service roles.
  • Requires briefing and temporary prioritisation around RVM education.

• Paper roll changes:

  • Treated like receipt or label paper changes on tills and self‑checkouts.
  • Any trained colleague can perform them, with clear instructions in the store manual.

• Bag changes and back‑room handling:

  • Assigned to the same team that handles waste, cardboard, or cage movements.
  • SOPs should emphasise ergonomics (no heavy lifts), sealing/tagging, and safe movement to storage.

• Daily superficial cleaning:

  • Built into the daily/weekly cleaning checklists for front‑of‑house equipment.
  • Time‑boxed to a few minutes.

• Misuse and alert response:

  • Initially handled by duty managers or designated “RVM champions”.
  • Over time, codified into simple decision trees (for example when to call support, when to escalate centrally).

Because the machine itself automates identification, counting, sorting and refund calculation, there is no need for dedicated “RVM operators” in a typical store. The workload is additive but spread thinly across existing roles and routines.

Summary

Once deployed, an RVM is largely self‑running. Store‑level workload concentrates around:

• A short period of customer guidance at launch.
• Occasional one‑minute paper changes.
• Five‑minute bag changes when alerted.
• A five‑minute daily clean.
• Ad‑hoc responses to misuse or unusual alerts.

With clear SOPs, good ergonomics, and a supportive fleet‑management platform, these tasks can be integrated smoothly into existing retail operations without materially disrupting core activities at the tills or on the shop floor.