TODAY, County Donegal introduced the largest environmental initiative of its kind since the 2002 plastic bag levy, and it’s already attracting some harsh criticism from smaller retailers.
Consumers purchasing drinks in plastic bottles and cans will now incur an additional fee of 15c to 25c, varying by container size. Upon returning the empty container, they can reclaim the deposit, although the process may prove more complex than anticipated.
Letterkenny retailer and County Councillor Ciaran Brogan is among those unimpressed, stating, “It’s essentially another tax burden and an added expense for businesses. There’s a small number of people who take part in illegal dumping and this will not stop them.”
It’s been suggested that larger outlets could gain an advantage from the scheme as they have the financial capacity to invest in costly Reverse Vending Machines. This could lead consumers to redeem their refunds at these larger outlets, despite initially purchasing the beverage from a smaller shop.
“I know that one of the multinationals has spent €15m putting in machines and I’m sure they will be looking to get their money back.
“The machines cost up to €60,000. So, it would be difficult for small retailers to invest that kind of money, especially with current overheads,” according to Donegal Mayor and Ballybofey businessman, Cllr Martin Harley.
“This is something to be welcomed as we’ve been talking about it for years and years. It will deal with one aspect of dumping, especially on the approach roads to towns.
“Some people go into a shop, or whatever, and then throw their Lucozade a kilometre out the road. It’s unbelievable as it’s on every road,” according to Cllr Patrick McGowan.
Businesses have the option to opt out of the new regime, but if they choose to do so, they are still required to display a sign indicating the location of the nearest Reverse Vending Machine.
“You’re going to have to start advertising other people’s business. It’s a massive outlay and expense for the shops,” added Cllr McGowan.
The EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive is the main driver for the introduction of Deposit Return across Ireland today, with the aim of reaching a recycling target of 90% by 2029. All eligible drinks containers will display the Re-turn logo.
“There are up to 6,000 volunteers cleaning our communities across the county so hopefully this will reduce litter,” said Michael McGarvey, Director of Water & Environment at Donegal County Council.
“I’ve no doubt that there will be challenges, issues and teething problems. We will try and iron out issues as they arise.
“When the plastic bag scheme came in there were a lot of ifs and buts about it. However, we learned how to change our own habits,” added Mr McGarvey.
The ‘re-turn.ie‘ website went fully live this morning. You can check precisely where Reverse Vending Machines are located in Donegal using an interactive map.
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