PLASTIC FANTASTIC
There and Back Again… a Deposit's Tale
— By Andru Shively — 

Readers of Tolkien know all about long, unexpected journeys – in his titular tale, Hobbit Bilbo Baggins travelled more than 3,000 km roundtrip by one reckoning. But that pales in comparison with the nearly 16,100-km trek that two plastic bottles made from Ireland to Asia and back in the company of one air traveller determined to save something more precious than all of Middle Earth: half a euro.

What lengths would you go to, to reclaim your deposit? (Photo: DAA)


The bottles, purchased at retailers in Dublin Airport, each carried a EUR 0.25 deposit under Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

As the buyer soon learned, however, the airport lacks any reverse vending machines. Instead, there are a grand total of three manual return points, located in shops, where one must queue up again to reclaim a deposit.

This led the annoyed passenger to write to the minister behind the DRS about his ordeal, local media report. He asserted that without convenient return points the bottles instead end up in bins, going so far as to ask if the deposit therefore should be viewed as “an effective tax”.

Related: Public support grows for Irish DRS

He has a point – and we commend his taking action, remembering the wisdom of Gandalf, who said that “it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay”.
01.11.2024 Plasteurope.com [256368-0]
Published on 01.11.2024

© 2001-2024 Plasteurope.com  |  Imprint  |  Privacy  |  Cookie settings

Plasteurope.com is a business information platform for the European plastics industry. It is part of KI Kunststoff Information and PIE Plastics Information Europe, one of the leading content providers for the European plastics industry. We offer daily updated business news and reports, in-depth market analysis, polymer prices and other services for the international plastics industry, including a suppliers guide, career opportunities, a trade name directory and videos.

News | Polymer Prices | Material Databases | Plastics Exchange | Suppliers Guide | Jobs | Register | Advertising

PIE – Plastics Information Europe | KI – Kunststoff Information | KunststoffWeb | Plastics Material Exchange | Polyglobe | K-Profi
© 2001-2024 by Plasteurope.com, Bad Homburg
Date of print: 12.12.2024 21:16:17   (Ref: 377040670)
Text and images are subject to copyright and other laws for protection of intellectual property.
Any duplication or distribution in any media as a whole or in parts requires prior written approval by Plasteurope. URL: http://www.plasteurope.com/news/detail.asp