16 million vouchers dispensed by recycling machines are not recyclable, Re-turn admits
EXCLUSIVE: The Deposit Return Scheme, which has the stated aim of reducing waste and increasing recycling, is printing around 150,000 vouchers a day on non-recyclable paper
Vouchers dispensed by reverse vending machines as part of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are not made from recycled paper and cannot be recycled, the company responsible for the environmental initiative has confirmed.
More than 15.9 million vouchers had been issued under the scheme by July 9. Laid end-to-end, these printed tickets would span the distance between Ireland and Canada.
A voucher is issued each time a consumer returns bottles or cans to any of more than 2,300 reverse vending machines located across Ireland. People can then hand their vouchers into certain retail outlets to reclaim their deposits.
The DRS was introduced last February as a circular economy initiative, based on the reuse and regeneration of materials, with a view to reducing waste and increasing recycling.
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On its website, the company behind the scheme, Re-turn, says the DRS aims to move away from the “take, make and dispose” culture, and “reduce litter and waste nationwide”, creating “a cleaner, more sustainable Ireland”.
“Everyone in Ireland has the opportunity to play their part in leading us towards a more sustainable future by valuing our resources and increasing recycling rates,” it adds.
However, a spokesman for the company confirmed to the Irish Mirror yesterday that the vouchers issued by reverse vending machines are printed on paper that is neither recycled nor recyclable.
“As with most retail receipts, they are not recyclable and should be responsibly placed in general waste bins,” he said.
It’s not the first time that the environmental merits of the controversial scheme have been questioned.
Complaints from members of the public received by the minister responsible for the DRS have repeatedly pointed out that making people drive to shops with returnable containers instead of using household recycling bins increases carbon emissions.
They have also noted that a fleet of Re-turn lorries are now on the roads, collecting cans and bottles from reverse vending machines, while domestic waste collectors are still travelling on their same routes.
The Irish Mirror has previously reported that up to one in four bottles and cans are not being recycled through the DRS, while Dublin City Council has had to spend €25,000 to stop people rummaging in public bins in an effort to retrieve containers that have been dumped.
Meanwhile, waste collectors have warned that they will have to increase bin charges to compensate for losses as a result of high-value plastic bottles and aluminium cans being removed from household waste.
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