In short
BottleCycler is an Australia-based company manufacturing a glass-recycling device that allows bars and restaurants to safely and quietly crush empty bottles on site, providing a storage and occupational health and safety solution.
The machine
The BottleCyclerBusiness partners Hans van Schoonhoven and Hendrik van Rhijn formed BottleCycler in 2002, and gave their innovative product the same name. The BottleCycler is developed from a Dutch prototype which Hans and Hendrik adapted to the requirements of the Australian hospitality industry.
"The BottleCycler crushes empty bottles quietly and efficiently and reduces the volume of empty bottles by 80 per cent," Hendrik said. It could be positioned behind a bar or in other convenient places. The unit crushes glass bottles on site, significantly reducing the amount of space needed to store used glass bottles. The 60-litre BottleCycler can hold 350 crushed glass bottles.
Staff members manually feed the bottles into the top of the BottleCycler. Two small propeller-like blades in the unit break up the glass and it’s impossible for staff to come in contact with these blades, making the whole process completely safe. An inbuilt sensor alerts staff when the unit is full.
Safer for staff
The BottleCycler is much safer because it means hospitality staff no longer have to carry, sort and dispose of glass bottles, "reducing injuries from broken glass and from lifting," Hendrik said.
During the past two years, BottleCycler has been sold to more than 160 restaurants, bars and clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. The BottleCycler won the best new hospitality product award at the Sydney Fine Food Hotel Show 2003-2004. It was also featured on the ABC television program, The New Inventors.