Hundreds of island residents are having to bring bags of empty bottles and cans to the mainland by boat in order to reclaim their deposits under the Re-turn scheme due to the absence of reverse vending machines in their communities.
A member of Coiste Comhlacht Forbartha on the island, who is also a member of the local waste and recycling body, said it was “neither fair nor feasible” to expect residents to carry their containers to the mainland. They explained that the local shop nonetheless has to pay an additional fee on bottles and cans when buying stock, and this cost has to be passed onto the customer.
“There is growing dissatisfaction on the islands due to the present unfairness of the scheme, and we feel that your department did not think out the logistics for islands properly,” they said. “I think it’s important that these basic services are provided on the islands. Certainly, when I was the minister, that was my policy,” he told the Irish Mirror. “It’s a basic service and that’s it.”