Returning cans and plastic bottles

MrEarl said:
Ridiculous scheme, to say the least...
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Three months ago I would have and did agree with you here but now it just forms part of our shopping routine
My only irk is the amount of times that I go to the machine only to find it's not working for one reason or another,
In fairness it's usually fixed by the time we get to the checkout but it shouldn't be happening in the first place

odyssey06 said:
It is probable bin companies will increase charges to compensate.
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I think it's already happening, the two providers that service my area Panda and Greenstar want all their customers to move off the "Pay by weight" scheme and instead charge a fixed monthly fee which in theory I don't have a problem with but in practice there's only one way your bin charges are going to go and you don't have any control over it
And it also semi removes the obligation to use the three bins correctly
clinteastwood said:
Same old grumpy old men......
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Well last week the scheme actually put a little smile on my face
While doing the shopping with Mrs C, I noticed a receipt on the ground
Picked it up to find it was a Re-Turn receipt for €1.50
It's the little things in life....
 
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I think the machines scan barcode - so that has to be perfect for scanning.
The machines also do some basic anti fraud checking, so there's an expected weight and size... so minor dents are ok, but too much squashed up and it would fail that check.
 
Is there a time limit on cashing in the Re-Turn receipt?

I ask because after a party in the house, I collected cans and plastic bottles and headed to Lidl yester morning,
Value was €10.. Proceeded to the checkout with a few items in the basket to be told the receipt was more than 45 days old, and wont be accepted??

Informed the cashier the ink is still wet as only printed 10 minutes ago..

She rescanned again, and said it was ok. It was only after I left the store, I thought , surely that cant be right, it should have the same monetary value as cash, to be spent when you like.

If, there is a time limit on using the receipt, it would a disgrace, as I could see folk storing them up to be used. I hope she was mis-informed. I didn't examine the receipt as she accepted it, but, would like to see the next receipt to see if there is a printed time limit in which its to be used.
 
I'd be very interested to know what the additional "carbon footprint" of this scheme is - including the energy used to manufacture, transport, power and service these giant metal washing machine-like contraptions. Given that prior to this, green bins were already being collected, with plastic bottles and cans (and continue to be collected without them) there's no real energy saving on the other side of the equation.
 
LIDL seem to be making up the rules as they go. They have been by far the worst of the major supermarkets for this sort of thing when it comes to Re-turn. People were complaining they bought multi-pack box of cans, Re-turn logo was on the box, deposits were charged but they were no barcodes on the cans inside so impossible to redeem.
It is surprising as LIDL should have experience of this from elsewhere and from their trials.

Normally I'd advise you to complain to Re-turn but they are another useless quango.

The receipts have no expiry date and no expiry date is printed on them, but I would not leave them too long or the ink would wear off.
 
Howth Head said:
Given that prior to this, green bins were already being collected, with plastic bottles and cans (and continue to be collected without them) there's no real energy saving on the other side of the equation.
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The savings will, if it works, be based on a reduction in the volume going to landfill or incineration and being disposed of in the streets, beaches, or along the sides of roads. The percentage being recycled was low and falling meaning we were also going to be facing large fines for missed targets.
 
odyssey06 said:
It is surprising as LIDL should have experience of this from elsewhere and from their trials.
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Very true given a very similar scheme has been in operation in Germany for more than 20 years. Their plastic packaging recycling rates are now ~70% compared to our ~30%.
 
The basic problem was and remains that most streets, parks, beaches and town squares didn't and still don't have recycling bins. Basically if you wish to dispose of a can or bottle in a public place, most likely it will end up in landfill.

The "large fines for missing targets" schtick is funny given that the scheme now imposes these fines on the populace.
 
Small Tesco multipack of 12 kids juice is charged €1.80 deposit yet when you try return them the machine doesn’t except them.
 
Its not an energy saving mechanism. If that was the case, you would be against the collection of your bins and simply throw everything away. If you were concerned about the miniscule carbon delta, you would go and do your shopping by walking/bicycle. Perhaps you do.

The simple fact of the matter is, despite what the Kremlin bots would imform, is that plastic recycling rates in Eire are only c.60%. This is LOW, not High despite what Quango Joe would say.

The target rate is 75% in 2025 (by EU law....unless you prefer to leave ) and 90% by 2030.

We've signed up at the last minute - no surprise there.

The reason from a personal point of view, is to remove and discourage the wanton throwing of plastic bottles into the laneways, byways, beaches of our country.

So, forget about the rest. If you can live in a cleaner environment, why not embrace it. I have noticed an improvement already around the bus stops which I pass each morning.


As for carbon footprint , I wager none of us give a real twopence - I'm off on holidays by air regardless and a record 32 million passengers last year agree with me.
 
Sad but true.

Aswell, unfortunately, a certain section of society seems to have the energy and money to buy the cans/bottles of 'pop', carry them around, but myseriously all of this energy disappates when the contents of the bottle are consumed and they have no quams fecking the bottles on the ground, hedges, beaches and anywhere else.

So much for Lucazade!.
 
That's not the rate for the items in scope of the scheme, and this scheme is not about recycling targets, it is about collection targets. There's no guarantee the PET bottles collected under this scheme will be recycled.

If you have figures showing what the collection & recycling rate was for the items in scope of the scheme, feel free to post. But I suspect whatever figure you think you are quoting is for a general catch all for all plastics, not the items in scope of this scheme.

Also, I think 'Eire' is the name of a football team, sounds like the kinda schoolboy mistake a Kremlin bot might make
 
Agreed
As mentioned, I dont care, only if it cleans up my local environment. Chances are they are shipped off to Belgium or China.

No, Eire is the name of the country you live in, and if your lucky to have an Irish passport, its written in gold font on the cover.
No need for Russians, Yanks or Chinese to tell me.
 
clinteastwood said:
....on the ground, hedges, beaches and anywhere else.
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In fairness, the vast majority of this stuff ends up either in public waste bins or in home recycling bins. It's hard to blame people for not wishing to carry around eg dripping cans in their pockets or handbags.

BTW, you would be well advised to edit out the expletive in your post above as AAM has a zero tolerance attitude towards bad language.
 
Thanks Tommy!.

I think people can empty their drinks and carry them. When they were half full, it wasnt an issue.

The bus stops near me are full of waste, the hedges destroyed, the local spar makes the money and the populace cleans up their shtie.

We are not a clean nation, we are getting better though and it surprises me what lengths people do go to to keep places clean e.g. the tidy towns folk picking litter all year round and people collecting their dogs jobbies.

its a minority, - but thats the same for everything
 
Reactions: Leo
No it isn't, not when the rest of your post is in English it's not. It is the Republic of Ireland.

Not sure what your angle is using it in this context, but as it is nothing to do with the Re-turn scheme, I'll leave it there.
 
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