Deposit return scheme (recycling) - Part 2

The bottles and cans that give refunds have barcodes on them, the machine can't tell what you're putting in without the barcode

Some little 80110× on the old thread said the RVM's accept crushed cans and bottles as long as the barcode is visible. I can tell you now, they don't. I was trying to save on space so I crushed the items, leaving the barcode visible.

I got 1 15c receipt out of about 24 items. Sometimes the machine took the item in, but it didn't give credit for it. But more often than not, the machine had a fit, as the can kept going in and out, and then you're trying to grab it before it went back in again. The 1 receipt I got was where I had to try and reform the can. I ended up dumping the lot in the bin beside the machine. Lesson learned, but it's made me hate the scheme even more, if that's even possible.

Me crushing the cans and bottles with my foot should be helping save the planet, as it takes less electricity for the RVM to do so. Crushed or not, it's the same item.

Have people changed their buying habits because of the scheme? Probably the best result for the environment would be to stop buying plastic bottles and maybe cans.

Guy ahead of me in the supermarket the other day (Lidl) had 4x12 trays of water, what's that, €12 in deposit? Seems mad as the water in our area is pretty good, why not get a reusable bottle and fill it out of the tap?

What I said was "stated goal" which is true and not a lie.

A key aim is a plastic recycling plant built in Limerick which will recycle what they collect.

All the aluminium they collect will be recycled because as we all know separated aluminium has a commercial value already for recyclers.

If we reach verified figures of 90% collection the current rate will be irrelevant.

Yep, I kicked my Pepsi Max habit, and my wife gave up buying sparkling water. Easily a dozen fewer 2ltr bottles a week

And the gombeen in chief from Return was spewing patronising BS to the press about avoiding weekends! Blaming the victim easier than doing a proper job.

While some people changed habits, I bet the reduction in plastic use is miniscule.

This is because a deposit based scheme is designed for perpetual plastic use, it greenwashes everyone into thinking single use plastic is circular, recycled, sustainable, when it's not.

Compare DRS to the impact a straight forward non refundable consumer levy might have. Let's say it was to start small (5c or 10c and item) but be announced in advance it would grow to say €1 per bottle within say 8 years. Now that is an incentive and a timeline for producers to find an alternative to plastic.

Before you say a levy only shafts the customer, remember that practically anything sold in plastic can be sold in can, bottle, bulk or draught: there are alternatives and these would not be levied. Bottles and cans were already well recycled too. So there is strong consumer demand as well as a producer route.

As well as solving the problem of plastic for good - something we will have to address anyway, it could have been done without a quango, without a logo, without an entire reverse supply chain being built off the ground.

As has been pointed out on the thread... easiest switch would have been levy or tax plastics and not cans. But nope Return needed the money from the cans.

Ahh you're right 2 euro (just checked my transactions) and it was brought in due to DRS - still cheaper than the rip off shops in every airport worldwide
I don't know the processing costs of the product but if expensive one would assume mass production would bring prices down to the plastic production levels

The UK scheme will be up and running by October 2027. Just like Casement Park will be ready for the Euros in 2028.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-68898109

A fantasy

First proper nightmare with the system the other day. Went to Tesco in Fairview, machine is down the back of the shop. Display said to call member of staff. As I finish reading it, an aggressive homeless alco starts shouting that he's first in the queue. He didn't see the funny side of it when I laughed and said I was the first one at the machine. He said he'd already called staff and shouted at me to do the same.
I said 'watch this', and turned off the machine at the socket, and on again, fully expecting it to boot up. But the screen stayed black. He got more irate, and I offered to take his cans to Lidl with me. He didn't like that, took a swing, and landed on the ground.

Off I went to Lidl in East Wall, both machines out of order. Across the road to Aldi, where one machine was down, but I was able to use the remaining one.

So out of five machines, only one was working. Maybe I was wrong all along. 😂

Ahem…and I'll quote you…

"Do you need someone to show you how they work maybe?"

😋

Re-turn says by separating plastic and aluminium from general recycling, Ireland can achieve a 98% quality of recyclate - surpassing the 80% effectiveness of the recycling bin system.

Im reading this as the % of what is collected qualifies as recyclable.

Ireland can achieve a 98% quality of recyclate

Can we? So maybe. When? Another aspirational spoofy stat.

What is included/excluded in this term "98% quality of recyclate". Does this include whats being collected in recycle wheelie bins into the future? Any plans for whats now left in recycle wheelie bins that we're still paying for?

They must have some team of spin merchants coming up with vaguely worded stats about how great things might be at some undefined time in the future. This doesn't tell us very much at all. Stat gymnastics for show.

What would be fairer are some actual stats on the extra carbon footprint of Re-Turn and total deposits charged monthly at point of sale. Before people p!ss themselves yes a lag on the return of containers is only fair also but we are entitled to all this information so we can assess exactly what's happening in this scheme.

The charities aren't able to claim on crushed cans any more than you or I.