Veronika Wild

  Do you know what this is?  Saw this at my local tip shop recently and wondered what it was. It's a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) – you put stuff in – in this case your empty soft drink bottles, and it will put money in your bank account or send it to a charity on your behalf.     There are others around the state and they are popping up in many other parts of the world , usually in supermarkets. Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Singapore, Russia, other parts of Australia, some Japanese and Chinese cities, some states in the USA and Canada already have them.  The downside is that  they are rather expensive - our state government funded this one, but perhaps if the beverage makers wanted to avoid bans or postpone developing alternatives they should be funding these.  *See Caveat at end. Bottles, cans and cartons in - money out In Other Recycling News Good to see Amazon sending small electronic parts in small recyclable bags. What a difference compared ...

-Image generated by Microsoft Copilot     How Users can Protect Themselves While Governments and tech companies scramble to stem the tide of misinformation and trust in media continues to decline, here are some things which we can do to protect ourselves and those near and dear to us. 1.       Question Everything -          Don’t take what you see and hear on face value, especially when it comes to political advertising. Australia doesn't even have laws to protect us  from  "materially misleading content” during an election campaign, though some states such as SA and the ACT, have begun to enact their own legislation.  Correct misinformation where possible, quoting reliable sources – via Community Notes on Facebook and Twitter and in comments under YouTube videos.  2.       Learn the Art of Critical Thinking – Ask what is this post about? Is it to inform, entertain or to ...