Waterford Councillor calls for charity link to deposit return scheme banks
Local Councillor Eamon Quinlan has called for return scheme banks to be located near charities.
The return deposit scheme has had a mixed reception since its rollout earlier this year.
Plastic bottles now incur a levy of .c15, which can be reclaimed at designated return banks.
However, people have reported difficulty in using such banks, due to location and functionality.
In Waterford, a local Councillor has proposed incorporating such return scheme banks into local charities.
Councillor Eamon Quinlan (Fianna Fáil), recommended to the Council: “I am looking for the Council to open up an expression of interest process where any charities who are interested in pursuing such a scheme can register their interest. It would be relatively cheap and convenient to roll out.
"It would fit in with peoples habits and save people carrying bags of empty bottles to the supermarket especially if any get rejected."
Cllr Quinlan went on: "Many plastic bottles are placed in our public street bins and so no one gets any good from them. Having numerous ‘bottle bins’ located around Waterford where the bottles could be used to fund local charities would be great and .c15 cent per bottle does add up quickly enough."
"Its low risk, low management and we could make it very easy by simply placing these plastic bottle bins at our locations where people drop off their glass bottles. People are there anyway and would happily drop back their plastic ones as well as glass, especially if they know they can support good causes of their choosing," he said.
"Making this as easy for possible for people is the key and linking to charities is a great idea," he added.
"People need to see a direct link between them returning the bottles and a positive outcome."
"By allowing charities to collect them, we still get the positive return of bottles for recycling and that benefits the environment," he said.
