why dont we reuse bottles here

rubadub

in many european countries beer bottles are reused. why not here. it used to happen years ago. milk bottles too. some countries have banned aluminium drinks cans completely. recycling glass uses far more power than reusing and the cost of bottles drinks comes down too

Capt'n Midnight

In Scandanavia they have this machine - you put in the bottles - it reads the barcode and returns the appropiate deposit - the bottles can be sorted and sent back to the correct supplier.

But then there is the grief about bacteria in cracks or chips. It's easier to charge a few cent for disposable stuff and not worry about the extra plant etc.

Yeah since Irish Glass closed glass would have to be transported out of the state to be recycled - which sorta defeats the energy savings. And since the raw materials are cheap (sand) there is not much saving there.

rubadub

thats the problem, it is easier to charge a few cent more for disposable. it should be taxed to bits forcing reusing if the government is serious about waste management. in many countries it is far cheaper to buy coke etc in glass bottles i presume plastic ones are taxed more. when this new bin weighing thing comes in we will hear much more. ever been in aldi? many people leave all there cartons behind before leaving.

Victor

Plastic bottles can be recycled in some areas.

Reuse of glass has problems with chips and cracks. Sometimes it is used as fill for road projects instead of quarrying rock. Alternatively it goes to Fermanagh for recycling.

The Saint

When I was in Sweden a few months back I say that all bottles are returned to the shops to be reused, even plastic bottles which are a lot more solid and sturdy than the ones here and people are refunded for it. Seems like a good policy to me.

rubadub

if reusing glass was so much trouble they wouldnt do it in so many countries. use stronger glass. do pubs still reuse bottles, i always remember coke bottles with rough sides from rubbing against each other

Victor

Ardagh Glass (associated with Irish Glass) have bought a factory in Germany and will be producing bottles there for the Irish market.