BOTTLE BANK

noun (Environment) A collection point to which empty bottles and other glass containers can be taken for recycling. Etymology: Formed by compounding; whereas in blood bank, sperm bank, etc. the metaphor extends to deposits and withdrawals, the recycling bank accepts deposits only. History and Usage: An early manifestation of public interest in conservation, the bottle bank scheme started in the UK in 1977. The covered skips or plastic bells normally used for this purpose had become a familiar sight in supermarket car parks by the end of the eighties--often overflowing, since there proved to be more enthusiasm among the public than capacity to recycle the glass. Why not take your old, non-returnable glass bottles to your local bottle bank instead of throwing them away? Which? Aug. 1984, p. 355