A beverage container recycling system has a housing with an advertising display, a user feedback display and a deposit opening. An imaging region is connected to the deposit opening. The imaging region has a camera to take an image of a deposited beverage container. A processor, network interface circuit and memory are associated with the housing. The memory stores instructions executed by the processor to analyze the image of the deposited beverage container to characterize the deposited beverage container as one of glass, aluminum or plastic. A carriage directly deposits a glass beverage container in a glass bin. The carriage directs aluminum and plastic beverage containers to a crusher with a blade to pierce aluminum and plastic beverage containers prior to compaction. The crusher selectively directs compacted beverage containers to a plastic bin and an aluminum bin. The memory stores instructions executed by the processor to maintain a count of deposited beverage containers and communicates the count of deposited beverage containers to the network interface circuit for routing to a networked machine.

A compression device allows for compressing a carbonated beverage container, for maintaining the container in a compressed state, and for releasing the container from the compressed state when desired. In one embodiment, the compression device (100) includes a first frame (101), a second frame (102), a first linking frame (103) and a second linking frame (104). The frames are joined together by hinge connectors (111, 112, 113, and 114), forming a quadrilateral enclosure or compression assembly that accepts a PET bottle. A hinge controller (119), associated with the first hinge connector (111), is operative to control compression and release of the bottle.