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Bottle deposit scheme on the way for Scotland, but Irish government says it's still too expensive

Despite calls from the Green Party to introduce such a plan, the minister is not budging.

THE GREEN PARTY has called on the Irish government to follow in the footsteps of the Scottish who announced last week that it is planning to introduce a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans.

However, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, is not budging on the issue, arguing that such a scheme could cost an estimated €120 million.

Earlier this week, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon backed plans to introduce the system under which shoppers will be able to cash in on old bottles.

Customers in Scotland will pay a surcharge when purchasing bottles or cans under the programme, which will be refunded when they return them to a shop.

Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan said he welcomed the announcement that a bottle deposit scheme is to be rolled out across Scotland, and urged the government to back the Waste Reduction Bill, which passed to second stage in the Dáil last term.

Scotland’s plans 

“If Scotland can introduce a deposit return scheme, there is no reason why we can’t do the same. All we need is the political will from government to see this common sense Bill enacted,” he said.

However, government sources said the minister is “very strong” in his opposition of such a scheme.

The minister previously said he was concerned about the lack of clarity about the potential costs deposit and return scheme to the exchequer”. The statement added:

Deputy Ryan has indicated, when introducing the Bill, that the scheme would cost approximately €276 million to operate in Ireland. A study investigating the possible introduction of a UK-wide deposit and return scheme reported that it could cost in the region of €790 million (£700 million) per annum.

However Ryan said funding for the scheme could be charged to the manufacturers.

Other European countries also offer incentives for people to recycle bottles.

Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden introduced a publically funded national deposit schemes as far back as the 1980s.

Concerns around cost 

Concerns surrounding costs of the scheme have also been made in Scotland, though a recent survey found that the majority of members of the public surveyed are in favour of the new plan.

The Guardian reports that Zero Waste Scotland were asked to assess the impacts and benefits of such a scheme. It received 63 responses on the deposit returns scheme, from companies such as Coca-Cola, as well as major supermarkets and Scottish environment groups.

AG Barr, the maker of Irn Bru, warned that “the cost to the consumer would be in the region of £150 million extra per year” in its submission.

Department officials argue it would also not have a huge impact on recycling or litter rates due to Ireland already being having one of the highest recycling rates for drinks containers in Europe, with 86% of all glass being recovered and recycled.

“We can’t afford it. There is about €500 million fiscal space. Are we going to spend nearly half of it rolling out a scheme like this when our recycling rates are performing well?” said one government source, who added that the Oireachtas Environment Committee will debate the merits of the Waste Reduction Bill in the next Dáil session where interested parties and groups can make submissions.

Fianna Fáil’s Environment spokesperson Timmy Dooley has submitted a similar Bill to bring about a bottle recycling programme, however, as it is legislation that would require the government to spend money, it has been rejected.

It’s understood the party is looking at other ways of ensuring the plan is rolled out in Ireland.

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    Mute Jules
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    Jun 27th 2021, 1:05 AM

    This article is too long and could do with a redraft. That aside I’m at a loss as to what the government agencies involved directly and indirectly with this industry do all day, it appears to be mostly nothing.

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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:03 AM

    @Jules: The Marine Institute and DAFM (Aquaculture and Foreshore Management Division) are government agencies and are mentioned as reporting breaches in the article so that’s most likely taking up some part of their day

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jun 27th 2021, 12:17 AM

    Can safely say me right thumb has surpassed itself tonight.

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    Mute The Kev in Kevlar
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:54 AM

    Honestly…one of the best articles I’ve read here, well-written, documented, and through. My opinion on fish farming, is that’s it’s toxic, but again- opinion. Good article by the lad, keep it up dude:)

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    Mute michael macken
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:25 AM

    @The Kev in Kevlar: it does not matter we eat them in the end also salmon is rarely on an irish menu because its expensive. more trouble for fishermen after brexit. have u seen the cattle farms in usa. why dont u investigate treatment of cattle in usa.

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    Mute Mike Ruddy
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:36 AM

    @The Kev in Kevlar: Here is my take on fish farms. Who here remembers the job situation in the 1980/90’s? Well, let me tell you that the job situation in rural Ireland was dire. Kids were coming out of school and emigrating. There simply were no jobs and no prospects. Then the fish farms came around the area. Of course there was mad protests but this industry was not only creating (well paid jobs) they were creating careers! When it comes to scenery destroying, there is no comparison to wind farms. Are fish farms unhealthy for the environment? Only time will tell on that one. I simply don’t know but it wasn’t fish farming that harmed Irish fishing. Our own government did that! Now rural Ireland is a far different place than 40 years ago. Thankfully Emigration and American wakes have become a thing of folklore. Communities are thriving. You won’t hear that in a report though! So you see I can’t really look at Fish Farms as being Toxic.

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    Mute Neil Ryan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 9:00 AM

    Overstocked poorly regulated Fish farms, non native forestry with poor biodiversity, intensive farming practices.. Urban sprawl and little cohesive planning in rural areas.. The green Isle…

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    Mute Dave Kavanagh
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:42 AM

    It has long been know that farmed salmon is among the most toxic of foods you can possibly eat and yet we still eat it. This article from food critic Paulo Tuillo in 2007 is only one of hundreds that give fact based evidence of the damage it can do to you. https://www.independent.ie/life/food-drink/why-i-would-never-eat-farmed-salmon-26443384.html

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    Mute Hubert Morris MIPAV
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    Jun 27th 2021, 5:53 AM

    Forestry licenses are In limbo as well , up to 2 years waiting and still a backlog , what’s going on here.

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    Mute Babs Ruch
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:01 AM

    Excellent article, and definitely worth the time to read it. It highlights so many issues, be it animal cruelty, environmental impact, or human health. And to me it only confirms my choice of abstaining from consumption of any animal products.

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    Mute Nicholas Grubb
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:58 AM

    Three excellent pieces of investigation of one of the biggest ecological horrors of our time, but is it all in danger, like all the other Climate and Ecology issues, of just being an analysis of what’s wrong, but like the rest, not a jot of an idea as to what to do about it. Virtue signalling that’s called. I mention Climate, because I have long perceived all to be linked and this salmon horror is just a tiny part of the whole that can all be solved by a little bit of joined up thinking.
    So what to do. Anyone with a shred of technical cop on, can see that our crazy rush into wind and solar power, is going to get us nowhere, except have us destroyed by massive electricity costs and make the big fossil fuel companies very happy. Forget all the notions of mega grids, hydrogen, pumped storage and batteries. The only thing that is going to work is a big temperate zone move into at least 40% power derived from ultra safe, modular, molten salt nuclear, like the Moltex recently approved in Canada. We urgently need to have several of these in each of the old peat stations. Next to them, the energy hungry but vital to our future, Data Centres. These soon to using 30% of all our electric power. From both goes the waste heat, into a vast area of 24/7/365 LED lit grow house complex. Salads, vegetables, cut flowers, avocados, and so much more. Then the Soldier Fly factories, their larvae eating a large proportion of our in Ireland alone, one million tonnes of food waste a year. These larvae then are fed to another vast complex of closed containment fish farms and chicken fattening houses. It is the present raping of the marine littorals for feeding the salmon, tilapia, shrimp, hake etc. that is doing the big damage, worldwide. Also the decimation of the rain forests for growing more soya. By this plan we end up solving a whole lot of problems as well as creating a massive new sustainable food production industry in our Midlands. The rest of the bog area being used for sequestration of carbon, nitrates and phosphates. We do of course with our salmon and trout have the other inland problems, such as mass tunnelling, eutrophication etc.. but they are tiny and easily dealt with, if we have any wild salmon to make it worthwhile.! For more fill in ndecg@yahoo.ie

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    Mute Caoimhín
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:38 PM

    Brilliant article!

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    Mute Den Sullivan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 11:58 AM

    move to China if be half labour cost half price use what ever chemical they like just like Brazilian beef raised in burn down rain forest fed on angel dust that you get prison here if found on your land

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    Mute Neil Ryan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:49 PM

    @Den Sullivan: that’s the argument for not taking responsibility?

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