Council awaits ‘guidance’ on reverse vending machine proposal

Cavan County Council is still “awaiting guidance” on a proposal to follow in the footsteps of the Monaghan local authority and also the Tidy Towns Committee in Carrickmacross regarding the introduction of reverse vending machines for processing recycled plastics.

First raised by Fianna Fáil’s Aiden Fitzpatrick as far back as November 2019, he received a brief update at the May meeting of the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District area.

“It has to happen sooner rather than later,” stated Cllr Fitzpatrick.

Designed to incentivise the public to stop littering and recycle plastics instead, the machine pays a 10c voucher per plastic bottle, which can then be redeemed in O’Gorman’s Supervalu, located just across the street from where the vending machine situated in Carrickmacross.

In the first 30 days of operating, the machine in Monaghan processed more than 20,000 plastic bottles.

The scheme is sponsored local businesses, Shabra plastics, which uses the plastic collected to create a plastic bullet that can then shipped to the Ballyconnell-based Quinn Packaging to manufacture food trays.

Director of Services for the MD, Paddy Connaughton, said that the council were still “awaiting guidance from the department” on the matter.