Warning of weekend queues as ban on selling non-Deposit Return Scheme bottles and cans begins

Their advice comes as the number of people using reverse vending machines grows and the number of drinks eligible for the scheme expands.

From today shops are banned from selling drinks in non-returnable plastic bottles and cans and risk fines of up to €5,000 if they fail to comply.

June 1 marks the end of a four-month ‘transition period’ granted to give retailers time to sell off any of their old stock.

Beverages in aluminium cans or in bottles made from PET plastic, from 150ml to three litres, must now carry the Re-turn logo and special barcode that triggers a deposit payment at the cash register.

It also allows the container to be read by a reverse vending machine so that it will issue a voucher for repayment of the deposit.

Waste enforcement officers in local authorities have been given responsibility for carrying out inspections to ensure shops are complying.

A spokesperson for the Local Government Management Agency said waste enforcement teams were briefed on the new regulations and given guidance on their role in enforcing them.

It will be up to the teams to decide how soon to start inspections and how often to repeat them.

Shoppers talk about their experiences with the Deposit Return Scheme machines

“Local authorities prepare a risk-based inspection plan at the start of every year which encompasses all the waste enforcement obligations,” the spokesperson said.

Waste enforcement officers do not generally work weekends, however.

Confusion over which containers were eligible for the scheme was one of the sources of frustration cited by shoppers adapting to the new recycling arrangements.

Re-turn also said repeatedly the transition period meant early figures on the operation of the scheme should not be taken as an accurate reflection of its progress.

However, even with non-eligible containers in circulation, the number of cans and bottles being returned has grown steadily.

Latest figures from Re-turn show 75 million containers were returned in the month of May – more than February, March and April combined.

On average in May, around 2.5 million containers were returned every day.

On average over an entire year, around five million eligible containers are sold every day although that fluctuates considerably at different times of the year.

Re-turn chief executive Ciaran Foley said he was delighted with the growth in numbers.

“We expect to see this continue as we move out of the transition period,” he said.

Re-turn is asking any shopper who is sold a beverage without a Re-turn logo after today to report the details at info@re-turn.ie.

Delays making returns because of queues and staff needing time to empty machines has also been a complaint.

Re-turn is advising choosing quieter times to make returns.

“The most popular days to return drinks containers are Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Re-turn recommends returning your cans and bottles midweek to avoid busy periods,” it said.