Irish Minister’s scheme to 'reward' against collection of aluminium cans is defaced by waste management industry

Eamon Ryan, the Irish Minister of Climate Action has initiated a plan to install reverse vending machines throughout the country, which will allow shoppers to return their aluminium drink cans for a reward.

The system initiating towards a part of a new deposit-and-return scheme aimed at preventing recyclable drink containers ending up in rubbish bins or as street litter.

A public consultation will commence shortly, which will decide the final format. The idea is that machines will be installed at shops and other accessible places for use by customers and the general public.

People can drop a can as they finish using it or collect a bundle at home to bring in one visit.

In exchange, they will get a reward, most likely in the form of a voucher for use in the shop hosting the drop-off point, or in a range of outlets. The value of the reward will be built into the price of the item when bought, with 10 cents thought to be a starting figure.

The scheme’s introduction time is fixed in autumn 2022, but it will need an agreement with retailers and recycling firms. However, waste companies stand defaced on it.

The Irish Waste Management Association claimed it would not increase recycling rates and could collapse the existing green bin service.

Conor Walsh, spokesman, Irish Waste Management Association, said: “It would need 2,600 machines, costing €100m, to collect the same number of bottles and cans already collected by its members.”

"So €100m spent to replicate the existing system but in a way that makes it far more difficult for people to recycle and also threatens the financial viability of the existing system," he said.

This scheme is one considered as one of 200 measures in the national Waste Action Plan published by Climate Action Minister Eamon Ryan.

A penalty on disposable coffee cups, the 'latte levy', will be introduced in early 2022 as a precursor to a total ban. Similar restrictions are flagged for cold-drink cups.

All waste collection companies are to have their permits reviewed with recycling targets incorporated into their conditions of operation, beginning with a 55% recycling requirement by 2025.

This is to push firms to give customers better facilities, particularly for segregating food waste and especially in apartment complexes.

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