Deposit return scheme (recycling)

Clo-Clo

In regards to the post of higher litter, if people are willing to throw their own money away then so be it

The local scout group in area do clean up etc so if they are making a few quid at the same time all the better

The person who posted about the 7k walk, bring a bag next time and you will make a fortune 👍

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904338#Comment_121904338

I do weekly litter picks around here and none of the plastic bottles or cans could be returned for a deposit, as they're invariably crushed by traffic.

JayRoc

I know I'm a little late to the party here but on my 5th attempt I was finally able to recycle a can yesterday (previous attempts had drs barcodes not recognised/machines out of order).

I distinctly recall being told unequivocally that the vouchers will be as good as cash and do NOT have to be spent in the store whose machines you used. Not the case.

Were they telling porkies or what?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904351#Comment_121904351

I distinctly recall them saying you had to use the vouchers at the store where you use the machine.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904364#Comment_121904364

You are correct.

That's been the policy since the start.

You either use the voucher against a purchase in the shop where you use the RVM or cash it and spend it where you like.

JayRoc

How do you mean, "cash it"? So you can use the voucher elsewhere?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904391#Comment_121904391

You can cash it in the shop where you use the RVM.

You can't use the voucher elsewhere but obviously you can use the cash.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904391#Comment_121904391

you go to a shop, you put in the bottles, you get a voucher you can use in the shop

That is what I seen everywhere. Otherwise why would the shop pay for the electricity etc on the unit

BoardsBottler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121903772#Comment_121903772

Sadly thats not the case, in a situation like this they may try harder and maybe even increase the cost of deposits. or may not do anything.

it's a percentage of returned numbers game, not number of containers game. Lets say for example only 1 shop sells a bottle and everyone else refuses to buy anything re-turn related due to boycotting the scheme. And that 1 person who purchased the bottle returns the bottle, then that = 100% recycling rate. if people think they can protest by still buying containers and refusing to use the RVM machines to get their deposits back, then they're only funding/supporting the scheme even more than they would if they returned the item and got their deposit back. Because the unreturned deposit goes straight into the schemes pocket. a tin can is worth 2 cent or less to the re-turn company, but for you it gives 15 cent back, if you don't return the can, re-turn the company keep that 15 cent.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121903865#Comment_121903865

i'm unsure, i think the barcode itself if you mean the RVM machine. to test this for you this morning i went to a local corner shop and put in a bottle to the RVM after scratching and drawing over alot of the barcode. unfortunately the machine kept rejecting the bottle. But i didnt let the bottle go to waste, i put the damaged lable in the bin and took the label off of a same bottle drink i found in the street (crushed but still intact with barcode area undamged) put that in the machine and got my 15 cent deposit back.

i think the barcode functions on the machine as a big "HEY! I'M OVER HERE!!" to the censors in the machine, then the machine glances slightly downwards or around the barcode in an attempt to look for numbers.

Although someone had posted here just over a week ago that the barcode are somehow incorporated into the barcode itself, perhaps the bigger the black line is = the bigger the number it represents? one or 2 aldi items have barcodes but with no numbers at all but can still be read by their checkout machine. the tall red cherry lips drink or sweet lips cherry soda whatever its called

BoardsBottler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904391#Comment_121904391

by "cash it" we mean, instead of spending the voucher in the shop, ask to swap the voucher for cash, they will give you money which you can then spend in any store you like, or save it, or give it to me :D

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904029#Comment_121904029

You could order 5 litre containers and reduce your deposits.

They are exempt from the scheme and still go in the green bin.

Also there is no need to wash out bottles or cans.

Just make sure they are empty.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121903317#Comment_121903317

You're an exception to the norm though. You have a large supply of recyclables from your place of work and you're making some money from the scheme. And why not. A 200 euro voucher from 1 trip to an RVM is not to be sniffed at.

The rest of us are expected store containers in our homes over a period of time, take them to an RVM in the hope its not out of order (if so find another RVM or take everything home again or go in store for manual returns), hope it actually accepts the containers (if not take everything home again or go in store for manual returns to some poor staff member who also hates the extra work associated with Re-Turn), hope it doesnt malfunction half way through depositing (no voucher printed, lose deposits, find another RVM, go in store for manual returns or lets be honest just toss everything in the nearest public bin or put it in your recycle bin at home as you're completely p!ssed off). If you do manage to get a voucher you could end up queuing up at a customer service till for God knows how long or be told you have to come back at a specific time to cash it in. All this in aid of trying to get a few euro a week of our own money back. F*ck that.

If deposits are paid and containers are not returned then yes Re-Turn keep it but Ive seen it posted here that money kept from deposits go back into the scheme. If recycle rates dont hit the targets we've been told this scheme is all about:

From re-turn.ie

To date, over 60% of plastic bottles and cans are being collected for recycling through green bins, which means that over 30% are not collected

then maybe there'll be a rethink and changes made. IIRC 90% is the target in 5/6 years time. Some on here say "well if you want to throw away money that's your choice and you're not right in the head". Fair enough but I'm just not up for this nonsense at all. The juice isnt worth the squeeze here for me. Not by a long way. This is what I meant by in the short term Im willing to lose deposits to at least try and get this scheme changed in some way because it's a ill conceived mess right now. People have even posted here they're putting all recyclables in their black bin in protest. I don't blame them. Something tells me instead of fixing the scheme to make it easier on customers the rethink could be increased deposits but I'd hope for some changes to how the scheme actually functions. Unless there's some other way besides emailing Re-Turn or posting on their social media channels which I dont think will have much impact at all.

bog master

As I dig further into this mess, I get more and more confused. And, try reading an EU Directive for fun sometime.

Terminology is important. As often these two terms are often used interchangeably or conflated.

Collection-as in collection targets. It is not referring to recycling, just the collection of recyclables. As in roughly 70% of our plastics collected are inicnerated.

Recycle- To recycle as take a collected item which has been used before, and via a process create a new product which can be used again.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904527#Comment_121904527

The juice isnt worth the squeeze here for me.

So you know what the next step will be. They'll make it so the juice is worth the squeeze. It won't be carrot and stick, it'll just be stick.

jimjangles

Can anyone tell me the best place to complain about the Return scheme and Centra's policy? I want to give them hell and make it public as possible on the Internet. Somewhere it will get noticed.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904790#Comment_121904790

Yeah I think you're right.

A bigger stick. There was no carrot.

JayRoc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904429#Comment_121904429

Fair enough, so. I was told the opposite.

But apparently you can choose cash instead of vouchers, so it's pretty much as I told.

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904823#Comment_121904823

..

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904958#Comment_121904958

If you google it, first link that popped up for me is the below. Confirms everything on it

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/waste-and-recycling/deposit-return-scheme/#:~:text=This%20is%20a%20new%20bottle,they%20are%20empty%20and%20undamaged.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904823#Comment_121904823

You'd probably be best starting off with complaints to Re-turn and Centra.

That way you can strengthen your case by showing that they are not dealing with your issue (obviously that's assuming they don't).

What's your problem ?

Maybe if you post it here we could help.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121904958#Comment_121904958

Just to clarify further, you can only get a voucher from the machine.

You have 2 options then.

1 You buy something in the shop and they take the voucher in part payment.

2 You exchange the voucher for cash in the shop.

Juran

I would question yhe real uptake % data.

Only once ever I have seen anyone using the return machines, that was a small local tesco, and it seems it wouldnt work for the customer. I pass by dunnes, aldi, dunnes and/or supervalu machines at least 3 to 4 times a week, never have I seen anyone use them.

I lived in Germany for many years, and thete used to be a Q at these machines, hence the reason I gave up returning, as my time was to precious.

We continue to put our cans & plastic bottles in our green recycle bin as we always have.

I keep saying it, fly-tipping is a much more serious and high priority problem in Ireland.

jimjangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905041#Comment_121905041

I explained it before, my Centra sell only the R bottles, won't accept them back, say they're exempt and expect me to travel 15 miles for a refund when I don't drive so it's not practical and is disgraceful and is discrimination against people who don't live in big towns. You don't live in a big town it's not feasible buying any kind of drink. I will just bombard their Twitter every day. It's not acceptable, it's just not. I will not pay their 30 cent tax with no opportunity if a refund. It would cost me 20 euros to travel into town and hours of waiting to get a bus back.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905140#Comment_121905140

You're going to come across as a crank and get ignored, most likely blocked by their Twitter account within a few days so you'd just be screaming in to the void.

bog master

Well from personal experience, who tends to go to town generally once a week, split shopping each trip between Aldi n Supervalu, I have never seen anyone using the RVM. I posted my own first experience a few days ago, was fine, one can rejected tho. Repeat one can rejected daily by eventually thousands, nice little earner for ReTurn.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905120#Comment_121905120

How do you resolve fly tipping in Ireland? the people get fined and the continue to do it

People have set up "garbage removal" companies and all of it is fly tipped, the people giving over the stuff to these companies are aware of what is been done but don't care

Unless you can catch them in the act, which is really hard because they do it late at night around a network of back roads which can't be monitored. Or you try find a receipt/bill in the items dumped and you go after that person, which normally turns out they gave the rubbish to someone to dump

Our area is in countryside and its a weekly job of reporting fly tipping.

Maybe it is time to make it compulsory to have a bin company collecting? even at that in our area you will see fiull garage cleanout's dumped

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905140#Comment_121905140

If its a small shop they are exempt.No ifs buts or maybes.You could try asking for their exemption letter

Daith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905185#Comment_121905185

Exactly, it's very much a recycling scheme that favours retailers. Even large corporations like McDonalds can be exempt. You can only use the voucher in the shop you return the bottles in or have to go to customer service and try and get money back. If the machines aren't working, tough.

bog master

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905183#Comment_121905183

I would be against that, at least in my situation. Single, pensioner, recycle all the way. Used a local lad to take a bag or two of rubbish once a month for at most a tenner, all food waste composted, bottles-cans to bottle bank and roughly every 2 months, cardboard n plastics to local dump-2.50 to buy their bag-maybe two. Now this lad has retired so to say and now find it easier tho more expensive to use the waste collection company.

Juran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121905183#Comment_121905183

Fines, deterent signs, threats of cctv, etc dont work. Thats obvious.

State needs to invest & provide public waste centre where everyone can bring their household items, builders waste, etc. And at no extra cost than that of property taxes, inckme taxes and VAT which everyone already pays.

We have a holiday home in France, we pay property tax. There is a local amenity centre where we bring old lawnmovers, mattresses, treecutting, paint, oil, etc. Its a rural area with lots of small roads and paths for walking & biking. Never once have I seen fly tipping.

With surplus budgets, this would benefit everyone and the environment.