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This smart green idea is the cat’s whiskers (and the dog’s dinner)

2 min read

Sustainable Planet
Source: None

A vending machine that feeds stray animals in return for recyclable bottles and cans.

Turkish company creates a clever way of getting people to recycle and help strays at the same time

This is"Pugedon" –  an Eco-friendly vending machine that delivers a portion of food for Istanbul’s stray cats and dogs in return for empty drinks bottles. The machine pays for itself too! Profits made from the recycled bottles cover the cost of the pet food and the whole thing is solar powered, making it environmetnally friendly.

A bottle goes in and the food comes out:Source: Facebook/InTheNow

In Istanbul around 150,000 dogs are without owners

Istanbul has a high number of stray cats and dogs, many of which have no regular source of nourishment. It is thought that there are around 150,000 dogs without owners in the city.

The Turkish vending machine encourages recycling and helps to feed hungry strays.
Dog’s dinner: The Turkish vending machine encourages recycling and helps to feed hungry strays. Source: DailyMail

Each station both feeds and waters strays

Each station has two insertion holes; one for the recyclable plastic bottles, metal cans and carton containers, the other for any water the plastic bottles may contain. Every time a plastic bottle or can is deposited into the hole, the unit releases some food to the feeding container below. Water poured down the separate hole goes straight to a container below for the animals to drink.

These animals don't have an owner, but they need to be fed or they won't survive. This helps alleviate the problem while encoraging the public to recycle.
A stray kitten eagerly chows down on food dispensed at the bottom of “Pugedon” These animals don’t have an owner, but they need to be fed or they won’t survive. This helps alleviate the problem while encoraging the public to recycle. Source: DailyMail

Killing two birds with one stone

In an interview with Der Spiegel, the inventor of the machine, Engin Girgin, said ‘My primary goal was to make people see that they don’t have to spend any money to help stray dogs. And I also wanted to show that people can do good deeds with things they would normally throw away.’

He continued – ‘At the same time, of course, I know that we don’t give much priority to recycling here in Turkey. In my opinion, this has to change. So I basically killed two birds with one stone.’Though local residents had initailly feared these food boxes may lead to parts of the city being overrun with packs of hungry dogs, that has not turned into an issue. All the dogs tend to have their own territory, and rarely leave for extended periods, even for food.’

Manufactured by an industrial company (YCN Yucesan Group), who usually make steam boilers, the project's success has been noted all round the world. Mr Girgin says that 61 countries have expressed interest in having vending machines of their own, and they have been shipped out to 20 cities outside of Turkey already.
61 countries have expressed interest in the vending machines Manufactured by an industrial company (YCN Yucesan Group), who usually make steam boilers, the project’s success has been noted all round the world. Mr Girgin says that 61 countries have expressed interest in having vending machines of their own, and they have been shipped out to 20 cities outside of Turkey already. Source: DailyMail

Source header image: screenshot video InTheNow

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