Man in Longford baffled as he's charged new levy on bottle with no return logo - but there's a simple explanation

One social media user has shared their reservations online about the new Deposit Return Scheme, where he was charged the levy on a product with no Re-Turn sticker. 

User @sdaly213 on X (formerly Twitter) questioned the extra 15c levy that he was charged after purchasing a bottle of Tropicana juice, which did not sport the new Re-Turn logo to verify that the product applies to said scheme.

The retailer, Supervalu in Ballymahon, Longford, saw the tweet and responded with a reasonable explanation, albeit confirming the product was missing the Re-Turn logo, which consumers are now told to look out for. 

Hi There! We can confirm that if a bottle has no Re-Turn logo, the Reverse Vending Machine will be able to read the barcode on the bottle. A receipt to redeem the deposit will still be issued. Just make sure the label and barcode are intact. Thanks, SuperValu Team

— SuperValu Ireland (@SuperValuIRL) February 1, 2024

Supervalu said: "Hi There! We can confirm that if a bottle has no Re-Turn logo, the Reverse Vending Machine will be able to read the barcode on the bottle. A receipt to redeem the deposit will still be issued. Just make sure the label and barcode are intact."

The Deposit Return Scheme came into affect this Thursday, February 1. It aims to get people to recycle more by charging them between 15c and 25c extra for a product at the time of purchase, and returning that extra cost when the consumer brings back the plastic bottle/aluminium or steel can empty and undamaged. 

The consumer can then recycle the empty drink container in the Re-Turn recycle unit, located in-store of where the item was originally purchased, and get a voucher for that retailer back. Participating retailers can be found online, as well as more information.