law on who own packaging

the_pen_turner

can I buy shopping in Tesco, dunnes, aldi etc and take off as much packaging as possible and leave it there.
obviously I can physically do it but can I legally do it

GreeBo

Why would this not be dumping?
You own the goods and the packaging.
Otherwise why not return the packaging from last weeks shopping too?

AryaStark

You cannot do this. An ex I had used to do it in Tescos and he was told not too.. he tried to argue but they said that it is illegal and they would report him if he continued.. he was a real eco warrior and tried fighting them but in the end had to take it home!

daedal

You want to take the packaging off before bringing the items home? If there is a bin nearby i don't see any harm, take off the packaging and dispose of it. Otherwise bring it home and dispose of it.

AryaStark

daedal wrote: »

You want to take the packaging off before bringing the items home? If there is a bin nearby i don't see any harm, take off the packaging and dispose of it. Otherwise bring it home and dispose of it.

You are not allowed to dispose of household rubbish in public bins... if caught you will be fined. While it may be hard to police taking all packaging off your shopping can be a bit obvious!

nuac

Many shops now have bins near checkouts where you may leave unwanted packaging

Del2005

Unfortunately some companies are members of REPAK and you can't leave the packaging behind there as apparently they contribute to the disposal! They'll have the sign somewhere around customer service or the tills.


https://www.repak.ie

brightspark

Del2005 wrote: »

Unfortunately some companies are members of REPAK and you can't leave the packaging behind there as apparently they contribute to the disposal! They'll have the sign somewhere around customer service or the tills.


https://www.repak.ie

The problem is almost all of them are members of Repak.

The aim originally was to make manufacturers etc. pay for excess packaging, but instead the cost is passed onto the consumer (if not the manufacturers will loose money)

And now we have to pay for the unwanted packaging to be disposed.

shopper2011

Anytime I buy something as a one off and I would ask the sales assistant if they would mind putting packaging in the bin. I then take out qhat I need and give the box etc to them to dispose. e.g. recently bought shampoo in a pharmicist and there was way to much box, instructions and receipts.
Now as for a weekly shop, I doubt its allowed, but as a consumer you could avoid buying excessive packaged products in the first place. e.g. mutlipacks of childrens cereal.

Del2005

brightspark wrote: »

The problem is almost all of them are members of Repak.

Yeah only noticed that when I went into their site. I only ever saw the no leaving packaging sign in a few shops though, so obviously some are OK with leaving it even though they don't have to.

the_pen_turner

GreeBo wrote: »

Why would this not be dumping?
You own the goods and the packaging.
Otherwise why not return the packaging from last weeks shopping too?

this is my understanding too.
its just that you often hear people say to do this to reduce waste

Carawaystick

the_pen_turner wrote: »

can I buy shopping in Tesco, dunnes, aldi etc and take off as much packaging as possible and leave it there.
obviously I can physically do it but can I legally do it

If you remove the packaging before the till, I can't see why not.

Peregrinus

the_pen_turner wrote: »

this is my understanding too.
its just that you often hear people say to do this to reduce waste

How does this reduce waste? The same amount of waste has to be disposed of regardless of whether it's disposed of in your bin at home, or in a bin at the supermarket.

The way you reduce waste is by refusing to buy over-packaged items. Buying it and then insisting that disposing of the waste is someone else's problem seems to foster attitudes that are more likely to increase waste than to reduce it.

Klinkhammer

AryaStark wrote: »

You cannot do this. An ex I had used to do it in Tescos and he was told not too.. he tried to argue but they said that it is illegal and they would report him if he continued.. he was a real eco warrior and tried fighting them but in the end had to take it home!

How is that being an eco warrior? Sounds like a tight bastard that doesn't want to pay to dispose of his own rubbish.

eqwjewoiujqorj

Aldi have bins and you'll always see packaging in them - at busy times I've seen them full.

I don't think most people do it though.

coylemj

Carawaystick wrote: »

If you remove the packaging before the till, I can't see why not.

The barcode is on the outside of the packaging, how can you pay for the item if you've discarded the wrapping before you reach the till?

If you don't like the packaging, don't buy the item.

AryaStark

Klinkhammer wrote: »

How is that being an eco warrior? Sounds like a tight bastard that doesn't want to pay to dispose of his own rubbish.

He was trying to get the supermarkets to get in products without extra packaging... as I said he is an ex!

Peregrinus

AryaStark wrote: »

He was trying to get the supermarkets to get in products without extra packaging... as I said he is an ex!

The way to do that would be to refuse to buy the over-packaged product. That has far more effect than buying it and moaning/whingeing/throwing the packaging around the shop.

I always do this. I have never been told not to.
It's not meanness. There's no need for so much packaging, but if I want to buy the item I have to buy the packaging too. I buy as much as I can without the extra.
If the shop don't like me putting the packaging into their bins, then maybe they should sell less.

AryaStark

Peregrinus wrote: »

The way to do that would be to refuse to buy the over-packaged product. That has far more effect than buying it and moaning/whingeing/throwing the packaging around the shop.

Which we did... all fruit and veg from the veg shop... all meat from a butchers fish from fish mongers but where do you get everything else. People keep saying buy stuff without packaging but where do you get it?
Where do I buy tea gabs without the big box? Where do I get washing tabs that are loose and not in a big box? There are loads of products that you need to buy but are over packaged... it was these products that he unpacked and left in the shop.

I still shop in fruit n veg shops, butchers and fish mongers to avoid packaging. Id love to know how to avoid the rest.

irelandrover

Peregrinus wrote: »

The way to do that would be to refuse to buy the over-packaged product. That has far more effect than buying it and moaning/whingeing/throwing the packaging around the shop.

It doesnt. If the Supermarket has to pay to dispose of the packaging it will make it a lot more visible than if people stop buying the product. They will have no idea why people stop buying the product.

Peregrinus

It's the producers, not the supermarkets, who determine the amount of the packaging. If the sales of the overpackaged products fall, while those of the less-packaged products rise, the producers will certainly notice this. Just moaning to the supermarket and arguing with them about who will dispose of the packaging does not affect the producers, who are the ones who will decide how much packaging there is going to be.

You can, of course, both refuse to buy the overpackaged product and complain to the supermarket about the overpackaging. You're not required to adopt only one strategy. But the strategy which hits the producers' sales is certainly going to be the most effective element of your campaign.

yoke

The problem with your logic Peregrinus is that it assumes there is an unpackaged or less heavily packaged option for every household product. There often isn't.
The only way this is going to work is via legislation.

bubblypop

bubblypop wrote:

I always do this. I have never been told not to. It's not meanness. There's no need for so much packaging, but if I want to buy the item I have to buy the packaging too. I buy as much as I can without the extra. If the shop don't like me putting the packaging into their bins, then maybe they should sell less.

Or... You know.... You could not buy it

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Or... You know.... You could not buy it

Not if it's something I need. Obviously I have to buy it then.

the_pen_turner

Peregrinus wrote: »

It's the producers, not the supermarkets, who determine the amount of the packaging. If the sales of the overpackaged products fall, while those of the less-packaged products rise, the producers will certainly notice this. Just moaning to the supermarket and arguing with them about who will dispose of the packaging does not affect the producers, who are the ones who will decide how much packaging there is going to be.

You can, of course, both refuse to buy the overpackaged product and complain to the supermarket about the overpackaging. You're not required to adopt only one strategy. But the strategy which hits the producers' sales is certainly going to be the most effective element of your campaign.

that only applies to small one off shops. they have to buy whats available.
the big shoping chains can demand it. if they rang up the disributer and said they will only buy products with minimal packaging for next year or they will get it somewhere else , those demands would be met up along the supply chain. they have the power but don't care.

also a lot of those chains sell their own branded stuff so they are actually specifying the level of packaging on those items

yoke

Deleted User wrote: »

Or... You know.... You could not buy it

What we're proposing is that an easier solution to having vast swathes of the population living like hermits and not buying modern conveniences, is to simply make laws further lessening the amount of packaging sold to consumers as part of a product.
It might spur supermarkets to use reusable packaging, or at the very least "less packaging".

Peregrinus

yoke wrote: »

What we're proposing is that an easier solution to having vast swathes of the population living like hermits and not buying modern conveniences, is to simply make laws further lessening the amount of packaging sold to consumers as part of a product.
It might spur supermarkets to use reusable packaging, or at the very least "less packaging".

This is not an either/or situation. You can campaign for laws to reduce packaging, while at the same time refusing to buy over-packaged goods, and lettin producers know why.

Peregrinus

the_pen_turner wrote: »

that only applies to small one off shops. they have to buy whats available.
the big shoping chains can demand it. if they rang up the disributer and said they will only buy products with minimal packaging for next year or they will get it somewhere else , those demands would be met up along the supply chain. they have the power but don't care.

also a lot of those chains sell their own branded stuff so they are actually specifying the level of packaging on those items

Again, refusing to buy the stuff will affect the big shopping chains more than buying it and then arguing about whose responsibility it is to dispose of the packaging.

The bottom line is that as long as you are prepared to buy over-packaged goods, producers and retailers will be happy to sell them to you. And if you really want to take effective action, then that action is to stop buying the stuff, even if that causes you inconvenience.

Victor

Carawaystick wrote: »

If you remove the packaging before the till, I can't see why not.

How do you then scan the product? What if you don't have enough money to pay for everything and you get charged with criminal damage?

brightspark wrote: »

The problem is almost all of them are members of Repak.

As is their right. However, not everyone is. Cuisine de France will take back their waste (and comparable waste from their competitors) at their factory. Supermac's also had a similar policy, but I'm not sure if this is current.

splinter65

nuac wrote: »

Many shops now have bins near checkouts where you may leave unwanted packaging

Aldi more or less encorage it.