EcoVend

What EcoVend does

EcoVend is a UK-based vendor of reverse vending machines (RVMs) that enable automated collection and recycling of empty single-use beverage containers — plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminium cans — in exchange for monetary or non-monetary rewards. The company's product portfolio comprises four distinct machine ranges: the 200 Range and 400 Range (plastic), the 150X Model (aluminium), and the 1450X Range (glass). Machines integrate digital display screens ranging from 17" to 65" and backlit side panels on larger units, and are managed via a cloud-based remote user platform that supports remote monitoring, software and hardware updates, and access to operational data.

The company generates revenue from four streams: (1) RVM hardware sales across the four product ranges; (2) installation, delivery, and training services; (3) recurring maintenance and support contracts; and (4) advertising sold on the integrated digital screens and backlit panels. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed. EcoVend's go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting UK retailers, public venues, and beverage container recyclers preparing for the UK government's planned Deposit Return Scheme, supplemented by an international reseller opportunity program for markets outside the UK. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website, blog content focused on DRS topics, an email newsletter, and a downloadable free DRS Guide.

With a headcount of 13 and a single UK office in Waltham Abbey, EcoVend is a small, specialised vendor. The company has explicitly positioned itself around the pending UK DRS legislation, citing an industry estimate that 36,750 RVMs will be required for full UK implementation and that DRS programmes using RVMs achieve up to 97% recycling rates. No funding rounds, revenue figures, management team, ownership structure, or AI capabilities are disclosed in the available data.

Name

EcoVend

Legal name

EcoVend

Website

https://eco-vend.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK-based vendor of reverse vending machines offering four product ranges for plastic, glass, and aluminium container recycling with integrated digital advertising, targeting UK retailers and venues preparing for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reverse Vending Machines

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE), Returnable & Refillable Glass Packaging (Deposit, Reuse Systems) (IMALAEAF), Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs) (IMALAHAD)

Keywords

• Reverse vending machines
• Deposit return schemes
• Beverage container recycling
• Automated recycling equipment
• Plastic bottle recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

UK

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Reverse Vending Machine Sales: Sale of reverse vending machine hardware including 200 Range, 400 Range, 150X Model, and 1450X Range machines for plastic bottle, glass bottle, and aluminium can recycling.
2. Installation, Delivery & Training Services: Professional installation, delivery, and training services for deployed reverse vending machines.
3. Maintenance and Support Contracts: Ongoing maintenance and technical support services including remote and on-site technical back-up, software updates, and hardware updates.
4. Advertising on Digital Screens: Digital advertising space sold on reverse vending machine screens (17" to 65") and backlit side panels on larger machines, creating recurring advertising revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

EcoVend designs, sells, and supports reverse vending machines that allow the public to deposit empty single-use beverage containers (plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminium cans) in return for a monetary or non-monetary reward. The product range includes the 200 Range, 400 Range, 150X Model, and 1450X Range machines, each tailored to specific container types, complemented by installation/training services, maintenance contracts, and digital screen advertising.

Product overview

EcoVend offers a unified portfolio of reverse vending machines designed for deposit return schemes (DRS). The product line comprises four distinct machine ranges—the 200 Range, 400 Range, 150X Model, and 1450X Range—each tailored for recycling different beverage container types including plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminium cans. These machines enable the general public to deposit empty single-use beverage containers in return for monetary or non-monetary rewards, supporting national DRS implementations with reported recycling rates up to 97%.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling rates of up to 97% achieved in countries using reverse vending machines as part of deposit return schemes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TOMRA: Norwegian global leader in reverse vending machines with a dominant installed base across DRS markets. Directly competes with EcoVend across product, customer (retailers), and use case (container returns).
• Sielaff: German manufacturer of vending and reverse vending machines. Overlaps with EcoVend on machine design, multi-material recycling capability, and European customer footprint.
• Envipco: Dutch reverse vending machine manufacturer serving European and North American DRS markets. Directly comparable to EcoVend on product, target customer, and technology stack.
• RVM Systems: Reverse vending machine provider focused on North American DRS and bottle bill markets. Comparable to EcoVend on hardware offering and beverage-container recycling use case.

Emerging players

• TerraCycle: Specialist in hard-to-recycle waste streams and circular economy solutions. Comparable to EcoVend thematically around circular economy and beverage-container recovery, though with a different go-to-market.

Others

• Reconomy: UK-headquartered waste-management and circular-economy group whose careers platform hosts EcoVend recruitment. Comparable as a potential parent/affiliate and as a UK recycling-services ecosystem participant.

Broad incumbents

• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK: Major UK waste-management and recycling operator with DRS-readiness activity. Comparable as an ecosystem participant likely to procure RVMs at scale and shape UK recycling infrastructure.
• Diebold Nixdorf: Large self-service technology vendor serving retail and banking with kiosks and RVM-adjacent solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent with RVM capability bundled into a wider retail-tech portfolio.
• Veolia UK: Global environmental services group with significant UK recycling operations. Comparable as a large infrastructure player and potential RVM procurement partner / competitor depending on scheme design.
• Crane Co. Diversified industrial manufacturer with a payments and vending segment (Crane Payment Innovations / NRI). Overlaps with EcoVend on automated retail machines, though not specialised in reverse vending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecovend1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EcoVend