Great support in Mullingar for new deposit scheme for plastics and cans

From this Thursday, you'll need to stop squeezing your drinks cans or bending plastic bottles when you are finished with them.

That's because February 1 sees the formal start of Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers.

A deposit will be charged on all aluminium drinks cans and plastic drinks bottles - but the deposit will be paid back once you place the containers in one of the new reverse vending machines that have been installed at various supermarkets in the area.

A condition is that cans or bottles returned must be in perfect condition.

At present, according to Re-Turn, the company overseeing the scheme, Ireland currently generates about 800 million single-use beverage bottles and over one billion aluminium cans each year, with between 60-70 per cent collected for recycling.

A number of other European countries operate similar schemes, and the average collection rate of established EU schemes is over 90 per cent.

On the streets of Mullingar last week, there was only a vague awareness of the specifics of the scheme - but at the same time, widespread support for the principle.

Karen Fagan is enthusiastic about the change. She has seen the reverse vending machines at some locations but felt more publicity on how the scheme is to work would be useful:

“I do buy a lot of plastic bottles because we drink a lot of water, and we just don't drink the tap water,” says Karen, who lives in Mullingar.

At present, she has a routine that works well for her: “I just find it very handy to dispose of mine in the recycling bin and I put it out once a week.”

In light of the fact that there is now a deposit system coming into play, she will look at taking her returns back to the shop instead.

“I do think it's a good idea because I think it encourages people to think about it: it's out there and in your face and the more visible these things are the more it encourages people.”

“I saw the advert on the television about it and I actually think it is brilliant,” stated Eileen Kirwan, Mullingar.

“We had this years ago as well,” she said. “Thirty or forty years ago, Mammy would buy the bottle of Coke or something and we’d bring the bottles back to the shop and buy sweets with the money back.”

Eileen would buy a fair few mineral cans and bottles, and once they’re empty, she sends them for recycling: it is any more bother to bring the empties back to a shop: “Going to the shop is the same as going to the bottle bank - and sure you’d be going to the shop anyway.”

Also enthusiastic about the new system were mother and daughter team Debbie and Sinéad Doyle, Knockdrin.

“We would go through a lot of fizzy soda cans, and I usually bring them to the council recycling centre,” says Debbie.

She has seen one of the reverse vending machines, but admits that as of the time of speaking she was not greatly aware of what the new system will entail. “I don't know much about it as yet. I know you bring your cans back.

“We buy the multi-tray - 24 cans - but I don't know like: I haven't seen any logo on them as yet to say that you can bring them back.”

Debbie doesn’t mind that it will cost more to buy drinks because of the deposit: “Ah no: it’s good to get more recycled.”

It’s not entirely new territory anyway: “When I was a child, we used to bring the bottles back to Maunsell’s shop [at the entrance to Dalton Park] and you’d get your few pennies back - and it was great!” she recalls.

Also supportive of the new scheme was Lakepoint resident Nico Ciobanu. Although it won’t hugely impact on his life as he mostly drinks water rather than fizzy drinks, he does believe it will help with waste reduction.

The hope that the incentive may reduce the amount of roadside litter is one of the reasons behind Carrickboy resident Catherine Rooney’s enthusiasm over the measure: "It sounds like a good idea. Hopefully it'll work - but it'll be depending of course, on the mindset of the people," she said.

Catherine believes that many haven't yet realised that they will be paying extra money for beverages, but is optimistic that once they realise they can recoup this extra money, that it will make sense to them to retain and return used cans and bottles.

"It's kind of a way of educating people really. I live in the countryside; I go for my walks every day. And there's not a day - I can guarantee - that I don't go out that there's cans and all sorts of stuff just thrown by the wayside. It's a shame,” she says.

"The environment is the biggest issue: we can't just park that, because it is serious.”

There is no doubt in the mind of Liam Duffy of Lakepoint but that the scheme is to be welcomed: "I think it's a good idea. I think it will encourage people to recycle. Anything that encourages people to recycle is welcome as far as I'm concerned," he says.

"It's all good - it gets the thumbs up from me."