Deposit return scheme (recycling) - Part 2

Who is profiting is the question. Lets speculate a bit about that…

Currently return is profiting simply because a lot of people dont claim deposit back. Middle man re shops are at zero. Customers are at zero or losing but willingly.

If return is printing these and they are applied to imported stuff then return is charging levy, shop which sells them is at zero and customer is at zero if they are returned and deposit claimed. If deposit is not claimed return is profiting same as above and customer is losing but willingly.

If shops are being creative and making them themselves then they are profiting, return is losing (actual loss is debatable since we are constantly reminded they are non profit and they do have quite a big slush fund from non claimed deposits to absorb this cost) and customer is at zero or losing but willingly if deposit is not claimed.

If customers are printing them they are profiting and return is losing and as above they may be able to absorb costs due to excess they get from not claimed deposit and also imports of not labeled stuff is slowly drying out.

Another possible scenario is printing 25c labels and applying them on 15c bottles which is possible but seems too much of a hassle for 10c unless someone is doing it on industrial scale. In this case return is losing but I do not expect to see this happening in any meaningful way to reduce return profits from non claimed deposits.

So take that 0.15 cent deposit you forego, 5 million cans/bottles per day being sold according to ReTurn, and even if 1% of people forego the deposit it's a nice tidy sum!

The Polish shops Ive been into feels like they would be less than 250 sq metres so exempt from having to take back.

We do have few small but 2 big ones and I have seen clear big plastic bags with return logo on them in one of bigger shops. No machine in there.

Yet, there is quite small off license shop which does have a machine in. May be good for business, generally until enterprising unwell person brings in a batch of freshly bin fished containers.

Yes understood but the barcode in that example is a Coca Cola Ireland barcode which doesn't represent the source of the product.

My point was, I really dont think Coca Cola Poland are targetting the Irish market. I suspect someone bought a load of cans in Poland and brought them here.

I got a takeaway the other night with a can of coke, and the writing on the back of the can was in Arabic. No barcode, no re-scam logo. Was I charged 15 cent extra? Frankly, I'm both ignorant and apathetic. In other words, I dont know and I dont care.

I suspect there is a stream of unregistered cans coming into the country from other countries.

Then it could be enterprising garage owner. Could be as simple as scanned coca cola barcode and return logo and printed out…

Which is not right.

I dont know but I was under the impression that if machine is not working they are obliged to do manual return. Is that true or not?

I was in lidl today and both machines out of order staff didnt want to hear anything and cursing people hauling sacks back to their cars. I personally do not use machines in lidl they tends to spit out every third can or bottle. I prefer dunnes machines they do work like charm.

Thats the predictable problem with this scheme. Those fallen on hard times are likley to go through bins, looking for recyclables and potentially leave a mess whilst they are at it.

As if the streets arent bad enough with all the seagulls ripping at the plastic bin liners.

Dunnes one only say bottle or can and 15c or 25c. I know for a fact that it will take 15c bottle and pay 25c if there is 25c sticker applied. That is sticker from 2l bottle applied to a 0.5l bottle. So much for "shape and weight recognition".

And once again I ask, "has anyone completed a manual return" ???

Since this is the third time me of asking, of a small yet dedicated audience of posters, one could come to a conclusion that manual returns as touted by the Minister is a red herring. Great question to ask of him.