Deposit return scheme (recycling)

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926767#Comment_121926767

The bottles don't have a barcode. The outside plastic wrapping has one but the checker says not in scheme

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927292#Comment_121927292

No bottle without a barcode should have any deposit charged on it

You can't put the wrapper in the machine, its barcode will definitely not show up.

Genghis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926886#Comment_121926886

No, it doesn't. Mr price apparently do manual returns, and I can see some of them on there so it does list them, just not say they are manual.

The map has loads of scope, i.e. it could list:

• how many machines
• opening hours
• busy times
• if indoors or outdoors
• Photo
• if operating normally
• % capacity

Admittedly, the last 2 or 3 items I am dreaming! ... but with a little imagination and effort I am sure real time data could be provided.

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927297#Comment_121927297

I know so what to do bring back the bar code off the wrapping.?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927299#Comment_121927299

I'd doubt they have two way data links to know the latter two or know the busy times, but at the very least listing the number of machines / ingests (some larger machines have two slots in a single machine) has to be something they can do easily; ditto indoor/outdoor. Opening hours are a bit of a mess when shops change them randomly around holidays

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927306#Comment_121927306

Go back to the shop and ask for the deposit you should never have been charged back.

Tow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927297#Comment_121927297

What should happen is not really.

Genghis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927311#Comment_121927311

You may be right, I did say I was dreaming ;)

InAtFullBack

Went into Supervalu tonight, Bought an 8 pack of Carling, marked as €13.50 on the fridge shelf. It was before Christmas the last time I bought them and they were cheaper than that - so thought the deposit price was added to the old price.

Went to the till, €14.70 please.

Reminds me of USA shopping, always dearer at the till.

This needs to be addressed. Shelf price should include DRS price - the price you see is the price you pay.

yoyo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928635#Comment_121928635

To add insult to injury, you'd get 18 cans of the very same beverage for that price up north:

https://www.trolley.co.uk/product/carling-original-lager/PHF441

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928635#Comment_121928635

€12.64 is the MUP price for that pack (8 cans, 500ml, 4%) and that would be what it is often sold damn close to if not exact at around Christmas.

Shelf labels have to show the deposit, but as a seperate entry below it - they can't show a combined price. I'm not sure if this is a bad or a good thing; it does show the end outcome price if you return the cans but not what you pay... however, its the norm globally for this sort of setup

InAtFullBack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928785#Comment_121928785

Jaysus, thats ten cans less the currency exchange we're being rode out the gate for, and then a recycling fee on top.

InAtFullBack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928925#Comment_121928925

Tend to disagree here, the cans are on the shelf €13.50 for a pack - that is what is on the shelf label complete with brand, quantity and barcode. At the till it's €14.70. The €14.70 should be the 'invitation to treat' price and if I get a kick back thereafter for putting a few aluminium cans into a funky machine, that is my kickback.

Imagine the uproar if someone went into a bar and €5 for a Guinness advertised at the door but when you ordered one and went to pay, it was €5.50 because you needed the glass for 50c. But but but, if you return the pint glass to the counter you get 50c back.

Nonsense.

The price on the shelf should be what you pay, end of. Why? Because that is what you have to part with to legally leave the store with the product in your hand.

Anything else is, if, buts, ands, and generally total BS.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928990#Comment_121928990

If you ever go to a market setup in Europe, that's exactly how your beer/coffee/gluhwein will be priced - the most I've been asked for a cup deposit was €4 in Leipzig in December last. Its just not something we've been used to here for a few decades, since the old bottle deposit setup tailed off.

From a retailers perspective, the deposit doesn't count towards loyalty points or discount vouchers (on soft drinks - these don't exist on alcohol anymore) so they absolutely want them considered as seperate.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121928990#Comment_121928990

You are only buying the beer.

Having the price of the beer and the deposit separate suits me fine.

_Kaiser_

What they do in Europe or what impact it has to the seller is irrelevant.

I agree with the above as I said weeks ago in the original thread. This approach of asking customers to "work it out yourselves" when it comes to the price they'll be asked is nonsense.

In any other consumer transaction you are clearly given the "bottom line" pricing before you pay (including every other item not in scope in that store).

This is simply a means of muddying the true cost of this scheme/scam to the end user. It would be just as easy to have the pricing as :

€14.70 (incl DRS: €1.20)

Anyway... In terms of my own experience since, I still haven't seen anyone actually using a machine wherever I have passed one. My own usage or consumption hasn't changed. The cans themselves continue to get crushed and dumped with everything else in the local landfill compactors.

But I'm under no illusions - this is just another tax dressed up as a "good thing". Oh sure you can get your rebate if you have nothing better to do and time to waste - just like the change tickets of old with Dublin Bus when they wanted you to go to HQ to get it - but just as in that example it's intentionally inconvenient so as to make the maximum profits for someone (you can be sure that money is earning interest somewhere just as with all those prepay schemes).

howiya

Starting to notice queues at machines now that the scheme is a bit further into its life. There were plenty of people on here who were adamant there wouldn't be any queues.

Of course it was very easy to predict there would be queues. A store has two machines. We're expected to return items when we do our shopping. If more than 2 people arrive at the supermarket at the same time a queue forms. Why people wanted to argue there wouldn't be queues is beyond me...

Anyway on use of the machines other than queues I haven't had issues using the machines. Everything I brought back has been accepted. I'm probably at around 90% in bringing stuff back as the odd time I will purchase something on the go but not keep the container but have cut down on this type of consumption. Forget to use the voucher when I get to the checkout on occasion but it'll get used at some point.

Overall its a pain in the hole but the scheme isn't going anywhere. Think the focus should be on making it more consumer friendly going forward.

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926702#Comment_121926702

I was only charged 15c. I'm going to ask for it as principle and to see what happens. I can't take 15 cent from them. I don't have receipt though.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121929855#Comment_121929855

When things are designed to be 'a pain in the hole', it ain't good.

What will be telling in awhile is a report of the gap between deposits taken in and the equivalent amount of vouchers issued back. i.e. how much excess money is being pulled in by Return.

TokTik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121918516#Comment_121918516

It was mentioned in here too how enterprising teens would collect empties for free money and public drinkers would fastidiously bring their cans with them.

Fast forward to a day or so after Paddys Day and the local Tidy Towns Facebook page. Beach looked like Stradbally after Electric Picnic.

Daith

TBF, because the machines only accept certain cans and bottles, I wouldn't expect people to do this? Give it a few months when everything should be returnable and lets see

BoardsBottler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930034#Comment_121930034

there's another way you can get it back without needing a receipt, but it requires a bit of time and effort. private message me and i'll explain how, but some information i'll need is the name of the store in question (you don't have to give away the location just the store/brand name) the name of the item you purchased and how much deposit was taken from you that you're having trouble returning. and i'll see what i can do for you. You don't have to give your name or anything like that, but a rough estimate of the date you purchased the product would be helpful.

BoardsBottler

i had a weird recyclable experience today. spotted a plastic bottle on the side of the road, but so did another person. our eyes locked, then suddenly we both raced towards it. I got to it first and picked it up, seeing it had a return logo on it. The other person called me a b word as soon as i had picked it up. Seeing how annoyed the person was i offered it to give it to them to keep the peace or diffuse the situation, only then to be told to eff off.

it appears this scheme is causing hostility in some people, and i don't mean the sort of people who are being wronged by the scheme or stuff like reverse vending machines not working resulting in disgruntled people, i mean the competition of some of the others who are out seeking cans and bottles. The thing is i don't even go around looking for bottles as i get most from work, if i just happen to see it near me as i'm walking i'll go pick it up. But the resentment i'm getting from some folk is ridiculous.

i find its coming from 2 forms, first form being the people who litter the recyclables seem to go nuts if they see me pick it up. is it like they are embarrassed? or they didn't want me picking it up but rather some kid or something in their mind? And the second form seems to be competition/others out looking for cans and bottles. i seen one with a big bag earlier in the week giving me dirty looks and mumbling under his breath when he seen me pick up a bottle. He had a huge see through plastic bag with loads of recyclebles in it though, and all i had with me was my briefcase. It's hard to believe that someone with a massive plastic bag filled with cans and bottles would resent/begrudge me for picking up a single bottle. Unless its a greed motivated jealousy thing idk. just a really strange thing to experience.

When the roles are reversed and when i'm bringing back loads of cans/bottles in mass to an rvm in plastic bags, if i see someone else picking up a can or bottle from the road i smile and encourage them. infact at times when trying to reach certain numbers on the deposit receipts when i have left over spare cans/bottles i happily give them to someone else nearby using a machine. i really don't understand how there's so much drama appearing to come from other people seeing others take part in the collection part of the scheme. is'nt it meant to be a good thing to see others recycling or picking up bottles they come across in the street? it's being treated like as if its a bad thing to do, or something rude. i just don't get it. But then again i can imagine how funny and out of character it would look for a person wearing a suit and holding a brief case on the way to work picking up a bottle or 2 they come across lol.

Genghis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930324#Comment_121930324

It would have been better to have no transition period from consumer perspective, i.e. from 1 Feb all items accepted. But re-turn did not want to risk any loss by doing so, and opted for 4 months of confusion instead. I wonder as the system fails to fire 2 months in, do they think that was wise?

I'm not saying you are wrong, perhaps after June 1 the return rate will shoot up; I doubt it. Whatever about the future, think the current return rate of 10% or so is not good enough and the public are simply paying the deposit and continuing to dispose as before.

randomname2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930492#Comment_121930492

Of course, given the confusion people are less likely to return and deal with the hassle so they are likely to make money during this period. If you had a frustrating experience in the beginning you might just say to hell with it and dump deposit cans for a while until you know that everything is part of the scheme, and that all return logo items will be accepted in all machines.

Daith

I decided to cash in on the vouchers I had from a Eurospar nearby. Vouchers don't work on self service tills and I had to queue up to the busy till.

Meh.

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927313#Comment_121927313

I went back. They wouldn't refund as i didn't have receipt.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930681#Comment_121930681

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930034#Comment_121930034

Unbelievable.

Some shopkeepers just don't deserve to be in business.

Imagine upsetting a customer over 15c.

omega42

Sorry if this has been asked but I can't find the answer online. Once you have the vouchers, how long do you have to redeem them? could they be saved up for Christmas?

TIA

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930766#Comment_121930766

There is no time limit on them.

However some posters have pointed out that the print may fade over time.

It's too early to say but something to be aware of.