Bins they are a'changin

[Cyclone 10]

Can't argue with the rest of it since it seems quite reasonable.

[Crissie 18]

I've just come back from Germany, where there's a 25 cents deposit on most glass and plastic bottles. You get the Money (or vouchers) back when you return them to a shop. Much like it used to be here with old pop bottles. It seems to encourage people to take 'em back, causes less domestic waste so the bins aren't as full, and cuts down on street litter.

Would a similar scheme work here do you think (it will probably be introduced anyway), or would it just be something else to moan about?

[taxman 12]

I've just come back from Germany, where there's a 25 cents deposit on most glass and plastic bottles. You get the Money (or vouchers) back when you return them to a shop. Much like it used to be here with old pop bottles. It seems to encourage people to take 'em back, causes less domestic waste so the bins aren't as full, and cuts down on street litter.

Would a similar scheme work here do you think (it will probably be introduced anyway), or would it just be something else to moan about?

 

I think it would definitely cut back on street litter, there would be a cottage industry in people walking around picking up discarded bottles.

 

I'm less convinced of the merit of having to return bottles to where you bought them in order to get a deposit back. I put my bottles into my recycling bin, where they are supposed to go. The council pays Veolia to collect these, Veolia then reprocess the glass and plastic into new material which they then sell onto bottle manufacturers. The evidence of reprocessing is then sold to packaging producers in order for them to comply with their packaging producer obligations.

 

What would be the benefit of me having to take the bottles back to the shop instead? Veolia would still have to make household collections for the stuff which doesn't have a deposit on it but then they'd presumably have to go and make extra collections from all the shops where bottles have been returned to.

 

It would have to either or....kerbside collections or deposit and bottle return, it seems silly to have both systems in place at the same time.

[Crissie 18]

I think it would definitely cut back on street litter, there would be a cottage industry in people walking around picking up discarded bottles.

 

I'm less convinced of the merit of having to return bottles to where you bought them in order to get a deposit back. I put my bottles into my recycling bin, where they are supposed to go. The council pays Veolia to collect these, Veolia then reprocess the glass and plastic into new material which they then sell onto bottle manufacturers. The evidence of reprocessing is then sold to packaging producers in order for them to comply with their packaging producer obligations.

 

What would be the benefit of me having to take the bottles back to the shop instead? Veolia would still have to make household collections for the stuff which doesn't have a deposit on it but then they'd presumably have to go and make extra collections from all the shops where bottles have been returned to.

 

It would have to either or....kerbside collections or deposit and bottle return, it seems silly to have both systems in place at the same time.

 

I suppose the shops (we tend to use small supermarkets there) already have recycling collections arranged (I think they do here in the UK too), so the bottles only increase the volume, not the number of collections. But overall the quantities will be pretty much the same, just the collection points will vary, with more at shops than homes.

What the system does achieve though is that you don't see empty plastic bottles and tins discarded in the streets - which DO require extra cleaning / collection.

And yes, I saw a few people collecting empty bottles to get the deposits back - we used to do it for extra pocket money when we were kids, but I think it was only 3d then! Out of interest, when did that stop in the UK?

[taxman 12]

Out of interest, when did that stop in the UK?

 

I'm nearly 50, I remember deposits on bottles up until I was about 10. I have an off license near me that still does have a deposit on a couple of imported Belgian bottled beers, one is for 20p, which I would certainly collect on, the other is for 2p, which is really pointless.

[hauxwell 243]

Some countries have return vending machines in their supermarkets for plastic and glass bottles. You put them in the machine and you get a voucher or cash back. Not sure which country it was but they achieved 90% increase in recycling.

Don’t think it’s a bad idea.

[Crissie 18]

Some countries have return vending machines in their supermarkets for plastic and glass bottles. You put them in the machine and you get a voucher or cash back. Not sure which country it was but they achieved 90% increase in recycling.

Don’t think it’s a bad idea.

 

They have these in Germany, I don't know an out the rest of mainland Europe but I'd expect there to be others. I've also seen the reverse vending machines in China, several years ago.

[SALLY18 10]

The system in Germany is called the Pfand system (deposit system). The bottles are made a superior material which allows them to be reused upto 50 times.

[Crissie 18]

The system in Germany is called the Pfand system (deposit system). The bottles are made a superior material which allows them to be reused upto 50 times.

 

Thanks Sally. Am I correct in thinking that it applies to glass and plastic bottles, maybe also some tin cans. It seems to be a fairly well accepted system there, and reasonably widespread, certainly among larger stores.

[SALLY18 10]

Thanks Sally. Am I correct in thinking that it applies to glass and plastic bottles, maybe also some tin cans. It seems to be a fairly well accepted system there, and reasonably widespread, certainly among larger stores.

 

It definitely includes glass and plastic bottles. Not sure about tin cans. From memory I think the bottles have a 25 cent increase to the regular price which is refunded when the bottles are returned.

[sheffandy 24]

Some countries have return vending machines in their supermarkets for plastic and glass bottles. You put them in the machine and you get a voucher or cash back. Not sure which country it was but they achieved 90% increase in recycling.

Don’t think it’s a bad idea.

Yes they have this in the Netherlands too. Every supermarket has a vending machine you put bottles etc into and you receive a voucher. Very popular in mainland Europe and something we should adopt here.

[taxman 12]

Yes they have this in the Netherlands too. Every supermarket has a vending machine you put bottles etc into and you receive a voucher. Very popular in mainland Europe and something we should adopt here.

 

But ..this is the UK you are talking about. Nothing can happen without somebody somewhere making a profit. The Govt is in thrall to the likes of Carillion, G4S, Stagecoach, Virgin etc. Nothing happens in this country unless there is profit to be made by some shyster like Philip Green or Richard Branson.

 

I can't think of a single policy in the last ten years that hasn't a) provided a worse service to the public and b) hasn't lined the pockets of corporate spivs.