Lads, we're pissing in the wind. Look at the waste produced by the major industrial power houses. Really, we're kidding ourselves thinking we're making any real difference here.
Why do we need to stop?
Surely the onus should be on businesses to use different containers rather than consumers?
Basically because a lot of our plastic use is environmentally unsustainable.
But a large part of the retail model for food and drink relies on it so change will be slow.
We've started small by banning plastic cutlery and tableware (not entirely successfully though).
Further changes are in the pipeline.
https://www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/waste/single-use-plastics/
WELL SAID, AT 8.5 M
Actually the solution requires a three legged stool approach.
Consumers, producers and rule makers (IE. Government) all have a role.
We can all make changes in day to day purchasing habits such as using a refillable water bottle.
I just think in Ireland we are at nothing. People want to see a difference for their effort but when the largest manufacturing countries in the world are upping their production of harmful packaging or emissions or whatever we just don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I've stopped buying bottled water. Although I have concerns about the quality of tap water.
Sorry if you've read my posts where I am banging this same drum again and again but this works for us. I bought this when my sons bottled water consumption was costing over €10 a week.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09P41JNNX
With a family of 3 its fine but for a larger family I'd get the 8.5L.
I change the filters every 6 months and keep an eye on the filter prices on Amazon and get them when on offer so running costs are between €80-100 a year and that covers all the drinking water we use.
That plastic tap can be a bit fragile so I'd also recommend getting a metal tap this one works fine provided you screw it in tight.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Signstek-Stainless-Beverage-Dispenser-Replacement/dp/B00LGN9TJS/
Great filter and price point.
If budget can stretch a bit further an under sink 6 stage RO filter is quick enough and has enough capacity to cater for all drinking and cooking water even for a large family.
Unfortunately, buying any alcohol only in glass would reduce my choice hugely.
I just do what I can myself.
You have a fairly perfect example yourself of where doing the environmental friendly thing can save you money with the water.
I would suggest that you check the quality of your local water supply.
Plenty of selling off stock now round me. Some good offers to be had.
100% Tony EH
Some can paint this charade anyway they like, it’s another tax plain & simple.
TBH, I wish it actually was a tax. That way the uncollected money would go to the exchequer and, perhaps, onto some worthy endeavour. As it stands, it goes straight into the pockets of Re-turn instead.
I like the idea of it being completely manual. Just have to remember to top it up. If we had to in an emergency we could use it to filter rain water.
Re-turn CEO Ciaran Foley on Radio1 now, he wants your questions and compliments!
Hes some craic "If people dont want the deposit money because its not convenient for them theres plenty of others who want it" 🤣🤣
Edit: "customers are enjoying the scheme!"
He needs more media training, what sounded like the little snort of contempt he made when Claire mentioned machines not being wheelchair accessible did not sound good. Claire does not up on any of the 'fudgey' anwsers he gives, just accepts them.
Yeah lets him away with far too much. "98% recycle rate from returned containers". Thats some stat to pull out unless he misspoke.
A recycling plant is the plan for unclaimed deposits. Fair enough. Hope it happens sooner rather than later.
I didnt get the start of the interview. Anyone know was he asked how much is in the Re-Turn kitty so far from unclaimed deposits?
She's hopeless at these interviews. A patsy with an eye on her fees and the matters arising from how RTE will be funded. Toothless.
Foley allowed to waffle on, was he asked the hard questions about OAPs and house bound citizens? I didn't hear it. Soft.
He was. The answer was delivery van returns cant happen due to cross contamination issues and other European countries aren't doing it. The other European countries is thrown in when it suits.
Also about wheelchair access to machines he said some machine openings are low enough but if people have any issues to contact them and they'll help. No follow up from Byrne on what that help could be. Let away with a lot of spoof answers throughout.
So what's his solution for housebound citizens? Last time I heard him on, he said they should contact his office and he'd arrange collections. Did Claire forget this?
He can't just have no solution, can he??
If there was a solution offered I dont recall hearing it.
One side effect of this is that my local Dunnes now has a plastic bag to collect all the plastic bags that people use to carry their cans in.
He never said they'd arrange to collect them. I remember the interview, he said that people should contact Re-turn and they would try to work on a solution, I remember it well. He waffled about working on a solution and the sentence petered out without an actual answer but Byrne didn't follow that time either, she's just too focused on moving forward and asking the next question than actually getting a proper answer to the one she just asked.
This time he basically said that they'd checked around Europe before launch and no other country had come up with a solution for people who use home deliveries. Again, instead of asking him why he thought this was acceptable that some people who are forced to use home deliveries loose out on their deposit she just moved on.
There are certain machines in Kildare I do not bother going to anymore. They are either :
Some staff have told me these machines are not robust enough. They also have to be emptied many times in a day.
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0514/1449064-deposit-return-scheme-numbers/
Huge milestone and a super success.
so satisfying to know this waste has a very high chance of reuse as opposed to either being
1. Dumped in the ditch
2. disposed in a general rubbish bin and hitting the landfill
3. Going into the home recycling bin which while a nice gesture doesn’t have a huge success rate in recycling because of either contimation, people not following rules or else too unique of a product to recycle. Recommend people read into this. Most negative posts on here are uneducated who think this bin somehow is a magic machine.
we can all be proud of this.
I seem to recall in the first interview, he advised to the housebound to call his office with a view to a solution using local community groups and the GAA who were very helpful during Covid etc. Gave the impression that this was Returns solution and he'd organise it.
"All Retailers who operate return points and take back Deposit Return Scheme 'in scope' containers from consumers, will be paid the following Handling Fees: Manual Collection €0.026 per container* Automatic Collection (RVM) €0.022 per container* *Price is per unit regardless of material."
For simplicity assume 100 million x €0.022. That is €2.2 million due to the retailers, after 102 calendar days 01 Feb to 12 May. Works out at €956.50 per machine if all 2,300 got exactly the same traffic. Obviously some were busier, some less busy. That would be €3422.75 a year per machine.
There are also grants available where machines get low returns. Sliding scale for Years 1, 2 and 3.
This is the clip from the radio. I didn't listen yet.
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22395032/
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