The Deposit Return Scheme has faced significant criticism in its first year, with issues ranging from accessibility to high rejection rates and legal challenges.
Dublin: It’s been a year since the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) started on February 1, 2024. It aimed to boost recycling by adding a deposit on plastic bottles and aluminum cans. You could get your money back by returning these containers to special machines in stores.
However, the DRS has faced a lot of criticism. Many people complained about how hard it is to use. Some said it felt like a tax, especially when they couldn’t return damaged cans. Others worried about rising bin charges since waste collectors were losing valuable materials.
On its anniversary, the Irish Mirror looked back at the biggest controversies. There were issues like the CEO’s salary and even a bizarre protest where someone defecated in a bottle to express frustration with the scheme.
In May, Ossian Smyth, the minister in charge, admitted there were “teething issues.” Reports showed that one in five containers returned were rejected by the machines. Many people were upset, saying the machines wouldn’t accept slightly damaged cans.
The Irish Petrol Retailers Association planned to complain to the European Commission, claiming the DRS was anti-competitive. A legal expert warned that changes might be needed to comply with EU laws.
Concerns about transparency also arose. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore criticized how Re-turn, the company running the scheme, was set up. They refused to disclose executive salaries, even to the minister himself.
Accessibility was another big issue. Re-turn only consulted disability organizations months after launching the scheme. A disability advocate even filed a discrimination case against the company.
In June, complaints continued as people found that containers bought at one store couldn’t be returned at another. This caused frustration for many, including government ministers who received numerous complaints.
In July, a young man hoarded cans for over a year, thinking he could cash them in. His father even wrote to the minister for help. Meanwhile, residents of the Aran Islands complained about having to take their containers to the mainland to reclaim deposits.
Cavan County Council questioned the DRS, calling it a “money-making racket” that didn’t help recycling rates. Complaints about high rejection rates persisted, leading some stores to set up special bins for unreturnable containers.
As the summer went on, older people struggled with the DRS. Many found it hard to return containers, leading to complaints about it being a “sneak tax.”
Insects became a problem too. People reported swarms of bees and wasps around the machines, making it difficult to return containers. Meanwhile, prisons opted out of the DRS to avoid potential issues with inmates using bottles as currency.
By August, it was revealed that one in four containers wasn’t being recycled. Dublin City Council spent money to modify public bins to prevent scavenging for discarded bottles.
In October, it was discovered that the vouchers from the machines weren’t recyclable. Over 37 million vouchers had been issued, raising concerns about waste.
Complaints about the lack of reverse vending machines at airports also surfaced. Passengers couldn’t reclaim deposits on drinks bought before boarding. One man even took his bottles on a long trip just to get his deposit back.
In November, reports showed that some workers were claiming deposits on discarded containers. This raised eyebrows about how the DRS was being used.
December ended with a shocking protest. A consumer defecated in a bottle and returned it to a machine, claiming the scheme forced people to deal with “stinking bottles.”
As the year wrapped up, the DRS faced a lot of challenges. The responsibility for the scheme has now shifted to Fine Gael’s Alan Dillon, who hopes to improve things moving forward.
