‘Put reverse vending machines in shops to cut plastic pollution’
IRELAND should crack down on single-use plastics by using €8,000 reverse vending machines that take in empty bottles in return for in-store credit.
That’s according to Emer Curries, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s running mate.
The Fine Gael Dublin West candidate wants retailers to provide the machines for customers to deposit their empty plastic bottles in return for vouchers to be spent in store.
The mother of two – and daughter of former children’s minister and SDLP founder Austin Currie – argues the move would cut down on littering and plastic pollution on our beaches, rivers and seas.
Ms Currie’s goal is that legislation targeting single-use plastics be in place by January.
She also wants Ireland to become the first country to ban plastic straws. Ms Currie told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘These are costly machines at around €8,000 but if it’s providing increased footfall in those stores, it’s providing a kickback for them. Ideally we need to phase out single-use plastics and find a global solution to plastic.’ Ireland is currently the top producer of plastic waste in the EU. A recent survey by Irish Business Against Litter of Irish beauty-spots revealed that 40% of our rivers, beaches and harbours are littered or heavily littered. The reverse vending machines – in use in the Netherlands for some time and being trialled by retailers such as Iceland in the UK and Carrefour in Italy – give customers 10c per bottle to use in-store. The proposal for the machines features on the Fine Gael candidate’s three-point plan for Ireland to target plastic pollution.