Since I first heard of this deposit return scheme (DRS) or Re-Turn I immediately said here we go another Green vanity project and no further than the truth it is even after using it after taken me a week to find a machine working with plenty of them around but Lidl since testing has been the one that works most but Tesco need to sort it. I have been highly critical about this naming it #scamcycle on social media. They have claimed to refund 1.2 million and 5.6 million drinks containers have been collected.
This like other issues has been put down to teething issues despite being the technology being around for years because the Green brigade will come back at me with that but being honest I have seen and heard more bad than good, Yes I have seen one or two Green party members who seem to be the biggest spenders in the west going back with two empty cans and saying the my two cans have went through and all is good and the myth is busted, are you going to look like a complete tit and hang around a machine for 30 cent? I think not so I said I would stock em up.
Thus this is the 1st issue here, taking up space babysitting empty effing bottles keeping them in perfect condition which means more storage when in a normal used state would go in the green bin and happy out!!
So we have a two tier recycle system now whereby one can be returned and the rest go in bins at home or in the store, my local Lidl had both and this is said to reduce waste, From what I have seen there is no reduction in waste or rubbish on the street and people are still throwing their cans in the bin by habit so in short they are paying a green tax. I also have seen staff from recycling companies going in with black bags full of cans so that is another matter. Also note there is still stores charging the deposit whilst the logo is not on it and that will be taken up another time,but according to Re-Turn in time if you still have them you will get your money back.
OK so I had 123 items and three was refused which in fairness is not bad but one thing I did purposely was leave stones in a can to see if they are weighed and it seems so which can be seen in the video below of what I ran through the machine, they turfed it out saying it needs to be empty with the other two that gave no reason, all my cans where sporting the Re-Turn logo. I ran several sized items just to be sure and it took me almost 30 flaming minutes by the way.
People will argue that you can just return them when you go back to the shop you bought them well this is far from reality when half the local shops have not got a deposit return machine and most of them told me they are not getting one and they are not obliged to have one, so does that mean people will stop going to their local and just buy their soft drinks etc from shops that have these contraptions that take up space use electricity then costs to pay a driver to empty them which needs a van to collect them that are not electric and run on diesel, I think not on this either here is where the Greens will argue saying it creates jobs.
Yes it might create jobs but the whole idea is counterproductive costing retailers money, valuable space and putting more vehicles on the road which the Greens are trying to cut out and passively active on us buying EVs which again is another matter for the car experts which we don’t need to find out why the arse is falling out of EVs with the value dropping big time.
The machines themselves are big and as stated take up retail space which is valuable they cost money to run and staff, the technology seems simple enough whereby you put your can in bottom first on a conveyor belt and it gets scanned and on occasions decides some are not good enough despite being perfectly fine.
Next test will the the reverse vending machine or RVM where things are slightly different and again makes things harder when your empty cans where going in the Green bin at home and you can only spend the voucher in the shop purchased. Another thing that is annoying many online retail stores like Tesco and Dunnes and take-aways etc are exempt from this and for example out having breakfast the other day with my family and the diner would not give me back my money and do you think for a minute we are all going to walk back to the car like plebs with empty cans??
Overall this is just making us take up more space storing and babysitting empty bottles and cans it is costing other people money taking up shop space using more electricity and for the most we all just tossed these into a bin at home and now it entails us finding storage and then the time to stand there and wreck your knees in a shop like an eejit just to get your deposit back and by habit I do not see this coming to fruition across the country by default when you look a the system in its entirety.
I might be wrong but let’s see, I see it as a tax. You can look at this as a rant or review but it is my genuine 2 cents worth. It is a scam. Re active in many cases with exemptions making you travel more to do what you could already do in your green bin #scamcycle
I will be updating this as time goes on and you can decide for yourself and lets see if our bin charges comes down. but alas a few months later they are going up. You have less waste now they want more money. It is a scam.
Machines not working
Millions unclaimed after 40 days
Millions Unclaimed –Â So where does it go to? When asked and how much the CEO and not reporting rejection rates on they go and block you.
