“Nobody could predict the mess created by expanding the DRS” – Dutch article on deposit scheme.

A brief summary and the link for those who want to Google translate/speak Dutch.

The Dutch deposit scheme was recently expanded to include cans and smaller PET bottles. Unfortunately this is having a negative effect. This article discusses how people are turning over rubbish bins looking for these cans and bottles (with a 20 eurocent deposit) and in that act creating a mess. It also states that a lack of return points means that people will buy a can or PET bottle of pop at a petrol station or corner shop, but then don't want to carry the empty around all day so they dispose of it anyway.

Several retailers are being awkward about returns of products not sold at their premises, despite this being part of the scheme, albeit voluntary, and people often can't get their refund back unless they go to a different retailer. This leads to friction and ultimately only 68% of bottles and cans being returned.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2527333-niemand-voorzag-de-zooi-op-straat-door-uitbreiding-van-statiegeld

I am posting this because I have repeatedly warned that the DRS as designed for Scotland is not going to lead to the desired results and is instead a hidden tax on consumers whilst creating unwanted workload for retailers. This is often downvoted to oblivion because apparently that means I don't want to save the environment. Which is ironic, because I do, which is why I am against this scheme, I'd much rather see society change where we don't feel we need to package individual items in plastic.