Vending machines are part of our society. But some vending machines are just one-of-a-kind due to the unique mission they have.
Take this vending machine in Istanbul, Turkey. Instead of inserting coins and get foods/drinks, you insert empty bottles and the machine will dispense dog food to feed stray dogs.
You might think that you should use a dog man storage locker or something similar to store the dog food and give it to the stray dogs, but the vending machine is not for human; it’s for dogs – they can eat straight from the dispenser. Neat.
This simple but unique idea is one of the ways people can do to solve the problems in the society, in this case, stray dogs problem. In Istanbul, there are quite a number of stray dogs – 150,000 of them. In one side, this has created a culture that take stray dogs as a beautiful part of the society. In another side, stray dogs cause problems, such as aggression and their role as disease vectors.
To remedy the issues, the vending machine takes a measure to turn trash into healthy dog food. If you’re wondering what kind of food and “can I give my dog almonds” – rest assured knowing it’s just dry doggy kibble being dispensed!
So, who finance the machine? Nobody. The profit from the recycled bottles is used to cover the dog food cost.
Self-sustaining, offering TWO solutions to a city’s problem (cleaner city, healthier stray dogs) and has helped raising awareness of the local community.
Very well done, indeed!
