Deposit return option: I spent 90 minutes trying to return the bottle.This plan is despicable

We’ve been receiving inquiries from readers about the deposit rebate scheme launched in early February, and it’s fair to say that not everyone is attracted by its advantages.

Jane writes, My mother spent her entire life as a nurse in Ireland, which left her with severe back, arm and hand problems. She has her weekly groceries delivered to her door and lives in a place where the tap water is undrinkable, so she needs to spend a lot of her limited income on bottled water to survive.

Jane’s mother was unable to lift five-litre water bottles, which were not covered by the scheme as they were too heavy.

She has recently retired and is completely reliant on the state pension and at current rates the savings return scheme would cost my mother 2% of her annual income which she cannot afford to give up so I will return the bottle for her, our readers continue.

Today I made my first attempt to return four bags of bottles, despite having multiple chronic health issues of my own including scoliosis, a torn meniscus, just having abdominal surgery last month, and suffering from chronic pain and surgery-related pain.

I just spent over 90 minutes trying to return a bottle for which my elderly mother was charged a deposit. This is 90 minutes of my life that I will never get back, I guess I have to do this every month (since she doesn’t have a big house to store bottles for more than a month), which means 18 hours are wasted every year.

She started in a Lidl store in Navan, where neither machine was working.

I entered the store from the lobby area and based on the message on the machine found a staff member who was very helpful and came out to unclog/empty the machine. I waited painfully in line for another customer who then started using the machine while I sympathized with the staff member who resolved the issue.

When the other guy finished returning the bottle, I was not even halfway through, and the machine stopped working again. I went back to the store and found the Lidl employee who said he would come out again (although he was on another mission). I suspected he had forgotten and I tried to find a place to sit as standing for long periods of time causes severe pain. I found a metal bar to perch on at the tram stop and after about 15 minutes another member of staff came out and cleaned the machine again.

After another bag, the machine stopped working again.

So Jane returned to the store and the second staff member said he would come back to her. As she left the store area to return to the bottle return area, the alarm went off when she tried to walk through what she thought was an openable door at a closed checkout.

When I explained to the Lidl employee that I had not purchased anything at the next checkout and was waiting for the machine to be cleaned/reset, she said: No, they are broken, we cannot fix them and are waiting for people to be sent out to fix them.

[ Im thoroughly fed up: The struggle to find a working deposit return scheme machine ]

Jane seemed embarrassed to have been exposed when she said two other staff members had taken care of the problem and she was waiting for one of them who said they would come out again. I think she’s tired of not even being able to accommodate any customers with machine issues. I am very grateful to the two helpful staff.

Eventually, she put all the bottles into the machine, but then had to join a grocery store line and wait again for her refund to be cashed.

I came home even more miserable than before as I had to stand up and then try to sit on a metal pole while the mostly very accommodating and pleasant Lidl staff had to endure trying to deal with this same indignity I was also subjected to. The pain of meaningful behavior.

The burden on the elderly, those with chronic pain, the sick, and the disabled is immeasurable. This plan is completely despicable, simply saying that these machines are accessible because wheelchair users can reach them, without considering the huge costs, financial and otherwise, and the impact this whole endeavor will have on the most vulnerable in society , which is not enough.

It’s clear that no one involved in this promotion has any experience with chronic pain/disability and doesn’t even have an ounce of empathy for those with chronic pain/disability. People whose lives are already much more difficult than many around them. Everyone who has been or is involved in creating this situation for the elderly, the sick, the disabled and all people should be ashamed of themselves.

Brian Kearns contacted us with another question. I see you and others have posted the number of plastic units that have been recycled through the machines since implementation, but does anyone know the number of plastic bottles and cans that were put into green bins before the new system started? I mean, if it was a similar number, wouldn’t the whole thing be pointless?

In response to the first inquiry, a spokesperson said Return thanked the customer for sharing their experience and regretted the unfortunate incident. Given this customer’s situation, we encourage them to contact Return directly and we will do our best to find a solution to their issue.

The DRS scheme complies with EU accessibility standards; however, we recognize that this does not account for every situation and we are working hard to assist any consumers who contact us. As we work toward a successful deposit return program, Return is committed to promoting accessibility and inclusion for all consumers. If an individual encounters any difficulty participating in the program, please contact Return. We are eager to help you and your mother find a solution that works for you both.

She encouraged Jane to contact Return directly at info@re-turn.ie.

More broadly, she said: Return is setting up an Accessibility Advisory Group to review any issues brought to our attention and as the national infrastructure is rolled out we will also undertake a program of audits from which plans for continuous improvement will be developed definition. The scheme will continue to develop and improve, becoming part of Ireland’s recycling infrastructure.

[ Ireland overly reliant on exporting waste for recycling – EPA ]

She said Re-turn is aware of reports of temporary outages at reverse vending machines (RVMs) when it comes to machines not functioning and would like to thank all consumers for their understanding and patience in this matter. Consumers are encouraged to raise reverse vending machine issues with store associates as soon as possible. If any problems persist, the retailer should notify the machine manufacturer. Return is working closely with retailers to ensure store staff are trained and equipped to assist customers with RVM use.

As for Brian Kearns’ query, this is what she said:

Internationally, the introduction of deposit refunds as a way to encourage consumers to return plastic bottles and cans has proven to be a highly successful and practical solution to increasing recycling rates.

It is important that these beverage containers are recycled individually through reverse vending machines (RVMs) as this is more efficient than disposing through recycling bins. Currently, all recycled materials in recycling bins are mixed, which can lead to contamination. The mixture relies on recycling center conveyors to identify plastic bottles and cans. By separating plastic and aluminum from general recycling, we can achieve 98% recycling quality, exceeding the 80% efficiency of recycling bin systems.

Not only does this separation allow for continuous aluminum recycling, it also enables plastic bottles to be recycled up to seven times. As well as reducing waste, the main aim of the scheme is to help Ireland meet EU recycling targets. The single-use plastic (SUP) directive was the main driver behind the introduction of the deposit return scheme. Ireland needs to meet the EU recycling target of 90% by 2029 (versus an interim target of 77% by 2025), and deposit returns are a successful solution to achieve this.

[ Scourge of plastic production now part of a gigantic and unstoppable experiment ]

Return is a non-profit organization funded entirely by beverage manufacturers and suppliers. While unclaimed deposits will be reinvested into the program and used to fund the returns program, consumers are strongly encouraged to return their beverage containers to get their deposit back.