DAA must review its Deposit Return policy to avoid waste – MEP Andrews

Dublin MEP Barry Andrews has described the lack of Deposit Return Machines in Dublin Airport as “wasteful, impractical and costly to consumers”.

The Fianna Fáil MEP has called on the DAA to immediately review its policy of only allowing customers to redeem deposits on plastic bottles at the terminal shop in which they were purchased.

“Dublin Airport goers are being charged deposits on bottles they buy at the airport. But the deposit can only be claimed if they return to the terminal shop where the bottle was originally bought.  What if the customer has gone through security? What if they are at their gate awaiting a flight?” commented MEP Andrews.

“It makes no sense that the DAA would make this so difficult for its customers. With two terminals and an annual footfall last year of over 31 million passengers, it only makes sense that a place with such high traffic has several Deposit Return Scheme machines for customers, staff and visitors to use.

"Given the large footfall, millions of euro of airport-goers’ money could be lost over the coming years without these machines.

“For the Scheme to work, we need to make recycling easy and accessible. Over 70.6 million empty containers have been returned by the public so far. But the Scheme is still new and is a work in progress. Convenience, particularly in large public facilities like our airports, will be essential to full public buy-in.

“I am calling on the DAA to install deposit return machines at regular intervals across its two terminals. The shops in both terminals are obliged by law to charge a 15c to 25c deposit on all bottles and cans. It is only fair that customers are given a reasonable opportunity to avail of their deposit.

“By providing these machines, we can ensure that millions of containers continue to be recycled instead of wasted, and consumers do not lose out on money.”

ENDS