Returning cans and plastic bottles

Leo said:
What alternative do you propose given the previous system of hoping people would put them in a recycling bin was failing?
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Can you enlighten me how many of those caps will actually be really converted back into other usable items (and at what cost) and not just end up in energy or landfills or some dump in a 3rd world country?

Does the cost of changing manufacturing to make sure it's as hard as possible to remove the cap from the bottle not lead to price increases/shrink flation?
 
Leo said:
A long way off target, getting worse, and leading us towards heavy fines? That's not definition of success.
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Scotland was apparently in the same dire straits when the SNP/Green coalition proposed their own version of this scheme but the problem seemed to go away as soon as they were forced to abandon it.

Any Irish person who objects to this scam scheme should seriously consider

1. refusing to use the deposit machines - the scheme will die if retailers lose money on the machines.
2. refusing to buy deposit-carrying products wherever possible.
3. disposing of deposit-carrying containers in their black bin.
 
Leo said:
A long way off target, getting worse, and leading us towards heavy fines? That's not definition of success.
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I haven't seen any solid stats for the items specifically in scope of Re-turn. I've seen vague general stats for 'plastics' which covers a multitude of items, not just plastic bottles in scope of the scheme.
 
Leo said:
A long way off target, getting worse, and leading us towards heavy fines? That's not definition of success.
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In broad terms yes, I get that, but specifically with regards to cans and plastic bottles, I don't see where you are getting your info from, and honestly don't think it was an issue - I rarely saw a plastic bottle or can on the ground,on recent years.

I think my point above about bringing an end to the use of plastic bottles for water, would get a far greater result, as you'd stop the problem at source, so have 100% success, without the negatives that this scheme has brought.

We're so far off our 2030 targets, that the likes of a few cycle lanes, introduction of recycle machines to replace the use of green bins (for cans and plastic bottles), are really insignificant. What we really need to be doing, is building a dozen light rail lines, for electric trams to service our cities, and replace a lot of private motor journeys etc.
 
DublinTexas said:
And while it's specific to the USA it's eye opening!
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thanks, very informative. I've known about the triangle of arrows chasing each other around a numeral for some years but was amazed to learn that consumers still look for the symbol on containers & products, thinking it indicates recycleability. Great deception Oil/Plastics industry.
 
MrEarl said:
I rarely saw a plastic bottle or can on the ground,on recent years.
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There may be fewer on the ground but a lot are going into landfill, which is an environmental disaster.

Part of the rationale for the deposit scheme is to divert people who wouldn't litter but also wouldn't recycle, i.e. would use the general waste bin for everything.

I see it at work where there are general/recycling/compost bins side by side and so many people just fire things into the nearest one. These folk are the reason that we have the new system.
 
arbitron said:
There may be fewer on the ground but a lot are going into landfill, which is an environmental disaster.
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Okay, I'll take your word for it, but I'm honestly surprised.

The bins in the office thing, yes, I get, albeit a little bit of effort would get people into better habits - don't put the various bins beside each other, but a few very clear signs above them etc.
 
MrEarl said:
In broad terms yes, I get that, but specifically with regards to cans and plastic bottles, I don't see where you are getting your info from, and honestly don't think it was an issue - I rarely saw a plastic bottle or can on the ground,on recent years.
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The bus stop and hedgerow by my local shop is still lettered with them.

MrEarl said:
We're so far off our 2030 targets, that the likes of a few cycle lanes, introduction of recycle machines to replace the use of green bins (for cans and plastic bottles), are really insignificant.
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I presume you're talking carbon targets there, it's the plastics recycling targets I was referring to. A new cycle lane does nothing to address falling plastics recycling.
 
MrEarl said:
The bins in the office thing, yes, I get, albeit a little bit of effort would get people into better habits - don't put the various bins beside each other, but a few very clear signs above them etc.
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I know the primary schools try every now and then and have been for some years at this stage, but when you see the level of contamination in the bins in town that are all colour coded with pictures of what should and should not go into them, you have to wonder.

I don't like this scheme, I was recycling as much as I could anyway, but we were way off target and getting worse so now we all pay the price for the lazy.
 
MrEarl said:
Okay, I'll take your word for it, but I'm honestly surprised.

The bins in the office thing, yes, I get, albeit a little bit of effort would get people into better habits - don't put the various bins beside each other, but a few very clear signs above them etc.
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My last work place, in the work canteen there was endless education / signs up. The 3 bins, landfill/compost/recycling were along side each other, all different colours, with pictures on them as to what could go in to each, but compliance was terrible.

In my small office, of 7-8 people, there was a shredding bin, confidential paper would would go in to be shredded and recycled and I'd watch people put rubbish in it, despite a rubbish bin being beside it. Everyone working in the office was educated to degree/masters+ level.

I would bring home my recycling as I knew the bins were so contaminated none would get recycled.
 
dem_syhp said:
My last work place, in the work canteen there was endless education / signs up. The 3 bins, landfill/compost/recycling were along side each other, all different colours, with pictures on them as to what could go in to each, but compliance was terrible.

In my small office, of 7-8 people, there was a shredding bin, confidential paper would would go in to be shredded and recycled and I'd watch people put rubbish in it, despite a rubbish bin being beside it. Everyone working in the office was educated to degree/masters+ level.

I would bring home my recycling as I knew the bins were so contaminated none would get recycled.
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This is it in a nutshell, there are a lot of people who talk the talk but don't walk the walk

Every bit of packaging we get from the supermarket is washed and dried before been put in a recycling bin
but a lot of the time when I observe others, its dirty packaging that gets put in the bin
Even the other day while walking by the return machine in Lidl there was a smell of beer coming from the machine
 
T McGibney said:
The resource cost of doing this must be cumulatively enormous.
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At a personal level, it doesn't take any additional resources - I can't comment for others. We don't wash every bit of packaging, but any packaging that's dirty. When we're finished washing the dishes, we rinse them and let them drip dry. Even when I did have a dish washer, I always had somethings that needed to be washed by hand, they got rinsed with that left over water.
 
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