— By Andru Shively — 

How much does bus fare cost these days? In the emirate of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, recycled plastic bottles will suffice just as any traditional form of currency. Passengers can deposit their used bottles at reverse vending machines located at main bus stations in return for points – logged in a corresponding app – that are redeemable for public bus fares.

Bottles of 600 ml or less earn 1 point, while those above this volume earn 2 points; each point is worth AED 0.10 (EUR 0.025). Launched in 2022 by Abu Dhabi Mobility, the initiative has since seen some 118,000 bottles collected and converted into coach credit. The reported high level of participation from the public has now led to the recently announced installation of two new recycling units in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

Paired with their recently deployed fleet of buses powered by hydrogen and electricity, the Emiratis really have caught lightning in a bottle here.