Deposit return scheme (recycling)

As a matter of interest who benefits if the deposit is not collected and for example a person continues to put all items in the green bin

Thanks. No particular issue with the scheme especially if it improves recycling rates, I can't stand wasting resources unnecessarily. My only gripe is that someone who has always done the right thing by recycling everything via the green bin or visits to recycling centre will now be penalised for continuing to operate in that manner. Cest la vie I suppose

No, or at least they would do it at a loss. Because after the shops take them they are sent to a sorting centre for scanning - in a giant rvm of sorts. So if the can doesnt scan, the shop doesnt get paid their deposit back, nor their handling fee.

The experience would suggest that will be minor enough. A lot of the damage done to littered cans is most likely done while its litter, not before its dropped. Kids and others are likely to ensure that they dont stay litter for long enough to get damaged.

The RVM crushes them at the store so the big RVM machines are done by weight and matched with the reports from the retail RVM

The one in my nearest lidl seems to be broken all the time.

But im not seeing the benefit on this scheme at all.

I can recycle plastic bottles at home. I already pay for this. Im sure i'll continue to pay the same amount or more even without the 4 or 5 bottles a week that i might recycle in a machine. And glass bottles go to a bottle bank 5 minutes walk away from where i live.

If i want to use lidls machine then i have to drive there and home, when i might be doing my shopping on the way home from work somewhere else.

All of the major retailers are signed up. It's not really an option ad most of them have been preparing for over a year or more. At present they are up at about 3k retailers registered. Some of the smaller newsagent type ones may apply for a total exemption, but ultimately over time every retailer will either be registered as a return point or registered as exempt or not selling drinks.

There will be an app with a store locater at go live and probably a little earlier.

Thanks, that's good to know. Guess I'll go back to my old ways of storing my bottles until the end of the month and then cashing in 🙃 Used to do that back in Germany, really helpful in a pinch.

Well, back in Germany, nearly every place has either a basement/cellar or a utility room, which is where I'd keep mine, so it wasn't really an issue. Besides, when people break into your property, they tend to go for more valuable stuff, if I were a thief and had the choice between 10-20€ worth of empty bottles or a 500-700€ bike, I know what I'd pick.

Having said that, my old apartment was also within easy walking distance of a Rewe (major German supermarket chain), an Aldi and a Lidl, so I had an advantage there insofar as returning the stuff didn't require a lot of planning, beyond checking that there won't be any torrential rain within the next 20 minutes.

If people want to go dumpster diving, then that's their thing. I can't recall it happening back in Germany, at least not with private bins. Once this bottle return scheme kicks in, those bottles shouldn't end up in your bins anyway

Public ones, on the other hand, were a different story, but even there, it mostly happened in highly frequented areas, mainly train stations or the main shopping streets and pedestrian zones, so areas, where more people would throw away their drinks bottles, rather than returning them, which are more "lucrative", if you want. Then again, that kind of activity would be easier in Germany, as even the public bins are often set up to facilitate separating recyclables, general rubbish and food leftovers.

I genuinely have difficulty understanding why some people on this thread are freaking out about this. This type of return scheme has been running for decades in Germany at this point, it's not exactly rocket science and should have been introduced here years ago.

Not having a go at you, mind you, your points are valid. Some of the other posts in this thread though...

Adam Maguire RTE Journo posted this tweet thread on all this, very interesting and the comments are also worth a look. Lots of interesting observations/points

One thing I have been thinking about is the actual need for the special, high maintenance, barcode.

The bar code

1. Makes it more difficult for consumers to recycle (as special barcode must not be damaged)
2. Makes it more difficult for producers, and for importers by having a specific label "just for Ireland".
3. It reduces competition as Ireland is a small market, certain craft beers, possibly online sellers etc will simply not want to bother with Ireland

We might be told the bar code has a role to play in the collection of the fee from producers. In reality, the fee is simply going to be levied based on sales records, its not like the bar-code is physically issued.

It has no advantage to retailers either, unless we think they need extra-special help in deciding what is a recyclable bottle or can.

The only rational reason I can see is a worry that people might recycle NI packaging in ROI. That risk evaporates once the UK adopts a similar scheme (soon), there are other ways to deal with that risk in the meantime, i.e. impose a low deposit now to establish the scheme but not overly incentivise cross border recycling (e.g. 5c) and when the UK adopts theirs, adjust the deposit accordingly.

Then again, having a bar-code, making it compulsory and getting to spend lots of money on cheery branding will validate the collective ego of the new quango. Its existential for them, but nothing more.

The green bin operators should make a few euro too.

My related issue is if you return beer cans it seems it will be the stores option to give you cash or a voucher .. the latter to be used IN THERE STORE. I reckon all stores will opt for the voucher forcing you to spend it in there store. Other Q is .. how long does this voucher last?