Multiple use commodity collection and storage system

A multiple use commodity collection and storage system, comprising:

• a plurality of collection stations, each station for receiving a plurality of different predetermined post-consumer recyclable commodities, each station including:
• a. a plurality of reverse vending machines with a consumer selectable insert port being located in each machine, each port for receiving one different predetermined type of commodity, the size of each machine being within predetermined limits;
• b. pre-selection means associated with each insert port for automatically verifying that an inserted commodity is of the predetermined type;
• c. means for densifying the commodities received in each insert port and verified by the pre-selection means to be of the predetermined type;
• d. prestorage means including a separate space for each predetermined type of commodity;
• and
• e. transfer means for automatically transferring each predetermined type of densified commodity from the densifying means to the corresponding separate space in the prestorage means;
• bulk storage means remotely located from the collection stations, including at least one storage bin corresponding to each machine for separately storing each predetermined type of densified commodity, each bin being remotely positioned in relation to the corresponding machine for receiving commodities from the corresponding machine;
• and
• pneumatic means for conveying each predetermined type of commodity from the prestorage means to the corresponding storage bin in the bulk storage means and continuously maintaining the segregation of the commodity types during the conveyance, the pneumatic means including a plurality of intake pipes, each intake pipe being in communication with the prestorage means of one of the stations and a corresponding storage bin, suction means for creating suction, and a plurality of outlet tubes, each outlet tube being in communication with a corresponding storage bin and the suction means, the suction means drawing each predetermined type of densified commodity from the prestorage means to the corresponding storage bin through the corresponding intake pipe via suction.

A method for collecting and storing a plurality of different predetermined post consumer commodities utilizing a plurality of collection stations each including a plurality of reverse vending machines, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a commodity into one of a plurality of insert ports in a collection station, each machine having at least one of the ports, each of the ports being for receiving one different predetermined type of commodity;
• verifying that the inserted commodity is of the predetermined type;
• storing data corresponding to the verified commodities;
• densifying the commodities received by the insert ports and verified to be the predetermined type;
• separately storing each predetermined type of densified commodity remotely from the stations in one of a plurality of storage bins, each storage bin corresponding to one of the machines;
• and
• pneumatically conveying each predetermined type of densified commodity, after densifying, to the corresponding storage bin while continuously maintaining the segregation of the commodity types during the conveyance, each predetermined type of densified commodity being drawn by suction into the corresponding storage bin.