"Divisive scheme has successfully transformed waste into currency, but it's also time-consuming, mildly humiliating and is leading to the ransacking of public and private bins Re-turn was sold to us as one of those rare, painless wins: fewer bottles, cleaner streets and a small glow of righteousness at the return machine - a policy you could slot in to your life without much thought, which was very much the appeal."
"streets and a small glow of righteousness at the return machine - a policy you could slot in to your life without much thought, which was very much the appeal. But Dublin is being left "like a bomb site", according to council chief Richard Shakespeare. When people are tearing through public and private bins in search of refundable bottles and cans, it's hard to argue that this is working in the way we were promised."
The Re-turn deposit scheme converts disposable bottles and cans into refundable currency, promising fewer bottles and cleaner streets while offering easy participation and a small moral satisfaction. The process is time-consuming for users and can feel mildly humiliating. The search for refundable containers has prompted people to ransack public and private bins, creating mess and damage. Dublin city has experienced extensive bin scavenging and disorder, described as being left "like a bomb site" by a council chief. The practical consequences of the scheme are undermining its intended cleanliness and convenience benefits.
Read at Independent
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]