[Andrew K Fletcher (OP)]

Hi Atomic, we have this type of recycling also, Our glass is separated in skips with 3 compartments so we post the bottles to keep the colours separate, which is great if you go along with disposable glass bottles rather than reusing bottles and being given a small deposit refund for your trouble of returning the bottles to the outlet that provided the drink in the first place.

We in the UK, who are the heaviest taxed country in the World if we include Snide and on the side taxes along with stealth taxes and of course the taxes everyone watches being prised from their hands at the wages office or the fuel pump, or the television tax we in the UK so obediently put up with. Now we are about to be introduced to the black bag tax. This latest bit of highway robbery comes in the guise of being environmentally friendly because it penalises the general public for buying wrapping and packaging that no one wants to by, but is forced upon us by the super market chains and the food and product processors who stupidly believe we want this crap and are quite happy to pay for it when we buy it and pay again when we dispose of it?

I SAY REMOVE ALL WRAPPINGS IN THE SUPERMARKET AND LET THEM PAY TO DISPOSE OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OR BETTER STILL TAKE IT TO YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL OFFICE AND EMPTY THE BAGS ON THEIR OFFICE FLOORS!

It’s high time people power let these idiots know who pays them their wage and who they are working for.

[calimero]

few thoughts...
recycling does not mean re-use for same purpose.
glass bottles can be used in many way and burning bottle is not the best....kitchen tops  ( great for broken and mixed glasses)
i am surprised to still read that recycled good are lower quality... this is no longer the truth for some many recycled products!!!

[The science enthusiast]

In Germany they use the refundable bottle scheme and you see people who do not have any money taking bottles of the street and recycling them for the money. Not only is this a sensible way to get people to recycle it also gets people with no money to help keep the streets clean and gives them work without people employing them.

[graham.d]

Talking about recycling - this is a 4 year old thread!!

I notice that in Canada (at least in Vancouver) they also pay money back for bottles, plastic containers, cans and even milk/juice cartons. So, like in Germany, some people go around the streets and collect them to make a bit of money.

[Karen W.]

Here in californiA it is common practice and we are charged a crv value when we purchase sodas juices etc..we then separzye them and return the containers for so much per pound for....separated brown glass recyclibles, clear glass, green glass, aLuminum cans and plastics with crv recycling value...it is nice to get your money back on those purchases and the money adds up on all those and etc.....

[CliffordK]

We've also got a bottle law here in Oregon.

I think it was recently expanded to cover water bottles, and other "on the run" type beverages. 

I believe the deposit on soda cans is still a nickle, which is the same it was over 40 years ago.  So, everything else has gone through about ten-fold inflation, except the deposits on bottles and cans.

I have heard that for aluminum cans, the deposit is about the same as the scrap value of the cans, but invariably it is easier for the consumer to return the cans to the store, rather than taking them in bulk to a recycling center.