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THIS CAN’T GO on, it really can’t. I’ve been picking up bottles and cans from the banks of the River Dodder with the campaign group, Dodder Action, for the past five years.
At certain locations and at certain times, bottles, whether glass or plastic, and cans make up two-thirds of the junk we pick up. Hundreds of tin cans. Hundreds of glass bottles. Hundreds of plastic bottles.
Chucked by irresponsible people – or people who’ve gone beyond being responsible – beside one of the finest city rivers in Europe. Chucked there for someone else to pick up. Chucked there with no thought of the wasted resources.
The fifth Dodder Action Day kicks off on Saturday with clean-up points from Tallaght to Donnybrook, and this year we’re going to separate the bottles and cans and make a mountain of them to demand action from government.
Refundable deposits on bottles
We want refundable deposits on bottles and cans. We’re not interested in being told it can’t be done.
It is already done in different ways and to varying degrees in a huge number of developed countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Lithuania, certain Australian states, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and eleven US states.
“Reverse vending machines” are common in most of these jurisdictions, taking in recyclables and spitting back cash.
Incredible return rates are achieved in some countries, such as 100 percent for beer bottles in Ontario, to Iceland where 90 percent of aluminium cans and 87 percent of plastic bottles are recycled, to Finland which recycles 94 percent of cans and 92 percent of plastic bottles.
Very small deposits are the norm in most countries, ranging from less than 10 cents per item to a high of about 40 cents for large bottles in Finland. In some countries consumers are charged a deposit by the shop to which they return the item and recoup their cash.
“Bring” centres for recyclables
In other countries there is more State intervention, with central “bring” centres for recyclable goods.
Each country is different, though all EU countries must contend with anti-competition legislation which means there must be a level playing field for domestically-produced and imported items. Ireland, with small shops and diverse shopping habits, needs centralised reverse vending machines in bring centres.
I think the government needs to charge the drinks companies a fee to run the deposits scheme, with financial support from the industry via the several bodies which represent them.
It just isn’t right that single use containers are sold cheaply in the shops and chucked into the environment with no consequences for the people who make the cash out of this trade.
I don’t care that such a scheme may impact on the commercial viability of Repak’s recycling services, as is suggested in their incredibly negative report into deposits in 2008.
People might recycle if there was a cash incentive
The people who drink in our open-air beauty spots mostly don’t recycle at all. The recycling is done by volunteer groups who clean up after the drinking parties. The cost to the quality of our local amenities is incalculable.
Scotland has just done a study to look at bringing in a deposit scheme and they had it paying for itself in two years, partly because of the massive cost of litter to the environment, with drinks containers constituting about 17 percent of litter.
The Repak report reckoned drink containers to constitute about 5 percent of our litter and warned that a deposit system would only improve our recycling rate by 1.4 percent overall.
But even if these statistics are correct, they don’t take into account the impact of open-air drinking on certain locations.
The report doesn’t factor in the sad fact that the people who engage in this behaviour don’t recycle. But some of them might if there was a cash benefit.
Let’s debunk the myth
And if they don’t, there are plenty of less well-off people who would be more than happy to help pick up bottles and cans if it meant a little cash dividend.
I’m looking for a State-sponsored, State-run, mechanised deposit system for glass bottles, aluminium cans and plastic bottles in manned bring centres.
It’s time to debunk the myth that schemes which work well all over the developed world can never work here and clear the rash of bottles and cans off the face of this beautiful country.
Please join Dodder Action Day on Saturday April 22 at 11 am at any of these locations:
Details on www.dodderactiondublin.com or register at dodderaction@gmail.com. Dodder Action is on Facebook and Twitter.
Victoria White is a writer, journalist and chair of Dodder Action.
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Spain 24% Excessive
Finland 118% unconscionable
Ireland 287% Typical
@John Murray: but the country’s run by people who act like these loan sharks….
@Dave Walsh: give a man a gun he’ll rob a bank, give a man a bank he’ll rob the world!!
@John Murray: UK 1000%+
Instead of or combined with banning a solution to a problem we need to tackle the source of the problem. Educate. Ban all forms of credit gambling, paddy power is treated like some kind of Irish hero, the company is preying on the vulnerable, I don’t have the figures but I suggest that 50% of young male suicide is debt related and a huge part of that is gambling.
@Gerard Jennings: education on personal finances doesn’t put food on tables of those with no incomes. Yes, we should improve financial literacy in the country but it won’t solve the problem of desperate people making expensive choices.
@Dara O’Brien: Education on personal finances stops people getting in to desperate situations.
@John Horan: Not really, anything can happen tomorrow that people wouldn’t have planned for so education isn’t always the answer.
These companies need to be replaced by legit ones so people who need money quick can be provided it without the risk of getting knee capped by some of these.
@Mark McDermott: No…financial planning and education gives you the knowledge on how to budget so that you are prepared for emergencies. Of course not all can be planned for but education will help with most of them. On a basic level think Christmas clubs were you pre save rather than going to a money lender in December and paying back more than you borrowed.
@John Horan: which is all very well. However , Mark make the good point, that the people who tend to need these loans are coming from a place where they are not in a position to save up reserves. They have nothing to plan with, if they need to drive it’s fiver to fiver, last Christmas is still being paid off and so the cycle goes. Breaking the strangle hold of door lenders would help create the space you talk about.
If you watch some of these lending adds some of the intrest rates are 1000+ for the short term loans. Why would anyone want to pay or have the means to pay 1000 +intrest on a short term loan. I’m talking about the adds which are showing shower not working or car broken down. The next pay day loans
@bings: they pay because they have to or believe they have to.
There will always be a market for gouging moneylenders unless credit is made available to those in lower socioeconomic classes. People will always borrow for Christmas, birthdays, communions etc rather than having nothing to give children and loved ones etc.
Micro-finance may be available through the credit unions and whilst they are more flexible in lending practice than banks, their credit assessment still excludes those in the lowest income brackets.
Some form of community banking initiative is needed or rates of 200% plus will just continue – bam them and the illegal sharks just move in
Ban this, ban that, people need to take responsibility for their actions.
@The Bull McCabe: True. But when they don’t, who has to pick up the pieces? We do.
So what were The Labour Party actually doing in Government. They’ll be all over this like a rash now but were they asleep for 5 years.
On the face of it payday lending should be banned. However a little research and you might change your mind when you see what happens when they are banned. http://freakonomics.com/podcast/payday-loans/
In short if we cut the rates they can charge the payday lenders shut down as it is not profitable. Keep in mind the administration cost of a 100 EUR loan is the same as as 10,000 EUR loan. Those administration costs result in a higher interest rate on small loans. If we ban payday lenders what are the alternatives? Don’t say credit unions…they won’t lend you 100 EUR in 15 minutes, which is what some people require. think about what people will do to get the money if there are no payday lenders
They provide a service, banks are not going to lend to anyone without an income or give them a credit card, companies like provident unfortunately are necessary .
@Mrs M: or we address the problems which makes them necessary
@Breandán O Conchúir: No employment , bad credit history, inability to put by a few quid each week for events, is the main reasons I guess. I would also go out on a limb and say the foreign holidays for the chronic lazy is a big part of Thier business.
I would also suggest when somebody loses a job and has to sign on for a period they are not kept waiting 6-8 weeks for a claim to come through
A complete change of attitude from the government on middle and low income families would stop a lot of these problems. Ireland is a place for the rich and working class must leave to get the breaks to be able to afford to return
@stephen byrne: Ireland is not a place for the rich…the punitive tax regime means the rich are not tax residents.
How’s it even allowed in the first places is beyond me
@James O’Brien: Must be a few boys in the dail with their finger in it.
Ban the nanny state
People who are barred from credit unions will always go for what they need. they just want money up front.
Moneylenders typically charge around 25% paying back a loan,
this is an incredibly biased article; promoting credit unions and villainising moneylenders
Moneylenders are regulated by the central bank of Ireland to ensure they dont charge excessive rates.
isn’t this why we have credit unions? so people don’t have to go to money lenders.
Before we had credit unions this kid of dept was common how is it still a thing when cheap loans from member owned credit unions are available
Christianity forbid interest bearing loans . Moslem still do if we did have Islamic banking it take share in profits . but borrowings is still spending money you don’t have now
No, it is well past time
4000 grand limit on credit card is way to go :) stay away from money lenders . Credit cards can be dodgy but it’s all about managing it properly
It’s criminal – even credit cards over 20% are illegal unless they can prove otherwise
No interest
It is time to stop this
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