Deposit return scheme (recycling) - Part 2

What is it? Not opening a dumped link.

Could be a handy number for a recycle centre worker near the border in NI.

Scheme operator Re-turn has disputed this 45% figure but not provided an alternative return rate for that time frame.

The rate is wrong.

Oh right, what is the rate so?

This Padraic Geoghegan character is not getting much work with RTE except pieces about Re-Turn. His previous efforts were not up to much.

https://www.rte.ie/author/968575-padraic-geoghegan/

This is his source for the new one.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/4bf34-tus-maith-leath-na-hoibre-minister-smyth-delighted-with-latest-data-from-the-drs/

The Notes to Editor at the end explains the logic of waiting until the figures for a full year are collated. And even if that entails a major delay, it can never be fully accurate. Some containers not included in any count could still turn up at a machine after that. But they spoil the thing with the last paragraph. The number of containers returned in a month is not a percentage of the actual containers placed on the market in that month. It can include containers from every month going back to February.

• The annual collection rate is calculated based on the volume of containers collected for recycling as a percentage of total volume of containers placed on the Irish market each year. Placed on the market data captures the number of bottles and cans made available by producers for sale or distribution, not sales figures
• While these interim results provide a positive indication of performance, until a full year operation is completed, it will be premature to draw definitive conclusions on this data. This first year period is essential to allow the scheme to stabilise and mature
• All DRS data is provisional until official statistics, produced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are submitted to the EU. An 18-month reporting timeline is provided by the EU in acknowledgement of the complexities around gathering, collating and verifying this type of data. Our first report, for 2022, was submitted by the EPA in June 2024, with a collection rate of 49%
• The monthly collection rate has been steadily increasing and at the end of August was at 73%, placing Ireland well on track to achieve its EU collection target of 77% by the end of 2025. (Me: This bit is nonsense, unless no container from any month except August was returned in August).

One thing is noticeable is the lack of plastic bottles thrown on the streets , is that not a win win?

I have been in England a few times in recent months and, now I really notice the cans and bottles on their streets whereas our streets are relatively clean - whether its because people hold on for their deposits or others are collecting them, does it matter - quite a difference in cleanliness.

Have started to notice though a lot of glass bottles lying around - soon enough they'll start to be broken and that will be a bigger problem than plastic/cans…

Had to do shopping today and bring back my returns 29.75 which was nice but used a different machine where it was having issues in putting stuff in to it more quickly would not read the code and had to put it in again costing me time.

When i got the second machine free i hopped in there and fed the machine and no issues as it took the rest. Reported to management of issue of second machine as possible dirty sensor issue as machine was rejection them.

They won't lose any in their core vote because those GP voters knew it was GP policy.

Maybe some floating voters are disillusioned with DRS.

Also opposition voters might question why Labour, Sinn Fein, Social Democrats and others supported the introduction of DRS.

Overall I don't see it being a deciding factor.

This is just another kick in the teeth to those that suggested that one thing that could have assisted the "old" scheme, was specific bins for recyclables - it never works we were told, people abuse them.

I've not known anywhere they were every trialled wholesale in public spaces but sure look, it'll be different with these plastic bottles……

No issues with trying to "improve" this scheme just the lack of trying to improve the scheme that had been in place for a few decades is what gets me.

Nothing to do with producers as its like an extra tax we pay when buying bottles and cans and that money goes to the DRS and when we return it properly we get refunded the tax.

Less bottles and cans littering the streets and most of products sold goes back to recycling properly.

most of products sold goes back to recycling properly.

Source?

I cannot say if the bin yokes are good or bad. It's just a photo of them existing on a street I frequent.

Nevermind IBAN refunds, bulk return machines, exemptions for airports / home delivery. Bin surrounds are the big new feature of Re-Turn.

The big producers still pumping out plastic containers, the reps on the Re-Turn board creaming it, CEO Foley and Ossian must be having some laugh to themselves.

Fecking bin surrounds.

Why exactly weren't bin surrounds a feature of this scheme at inception? Seems to be a bit of an oversigh if they work so well else where.

Why weren't bin surrounts or even bins specificilly for cans and bottles on public streets part of our previous return scheme I wonder?