There are roughly 150,000 stray cats and dogs in Istanbul alone, and with so many other problems to deal with, city officials aren’t likely to make them priority. One Turksih company came up with a brilliant solution to feed some animals and recycle plastic at the same time.

Pugedon approached the city with an idea to install vending machines throughout Instanbul.

Placed mostly in city parks and other areas where a lot of people congregate, the machines are receptacles for used plastic bottles, and have a bonus flap at the end where dishes of water and kibble are placed.

Every time a person pops in a plastic bottle, a bit of kibble is released into bowls at the bottom of the machine, which stray animals are free to eat without persecution.

The city was happy for Pugedon to install these machines because it costs them nothing. In fact, they’re fairly self-sustaining. Funds raised by recycling the plastic are used to purchase the kibble.

Related: Egyptian vet school exposed for vicious treatment of animals

I don’t know about you, but I’m always so heartbroken to see stray animals in the street. Many countries in the Middle East (and just about everywhere, let’s be real) have a stray animal problem, and most cities are at a loss for how to deal with it.

We’ve seen some inhumane solutions. In Egypt, for example, the government poisons street animals, and they can sometimes be seen dying a violent death as the strychnine circulates through their bodies.

This is a much more humane solution. People can feel like they’re helping the animals without having to take them home or interact with them directly, and there’s an environmental benefit at the same time!

Genius!

For more Turkish genius, check out these awesome solar-powered lanterns that also put recycled plastic bottles to good use.

:: Elite Daily

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