Free coffee and half price bike repairs: Amsterdam rewards its recyclers

In the Noord district, residents are offered discounts at local shops in exchange for their plastic waste

Located just behind Amsterdam Centraal station with views looking out across the river IJ, Al Ponte is a popular cafe serving a constant stream of commuters on their way to and from the nearby ferry port. Not all Al Ponte's customers pay for their coffees, however. Not in the traditional sense anyway.

Al Ponte is one of the businesses participating in Wasted, a pilot project running in Amsterdam's Noord district which incentivises households to recycle their plastics by rewarding them with discounts at local businesses.