Bottle redemption system in Hungary did not kick off as smoothly as expected
In shops across the region, MoHu has installed machines known as REponts to facilitate collection and recycling of plastic bottles, drinks glasses and cans. While the bottle redemption system in Hungary aims to foster environmental sustainability and encourage recycling, it faces several operational challenges. Many are unhappy with the system and request an effective solution.
Frustration and confusion follow the bottle redemption system
Portfolio reports that an impressive two and a half million bottles are being exchanged by customers every day. Despite this success, the process has encountered several issues in Hungary. RTL captured footage at a vending machine where customers struggled to return a theoretically acceptable beer can. The machine initially refused the can, causing frustration and confusion. After some fiddling, the customers finally managed to get the machine to accept it, highlighting the need for more reliable technology.
In another instance, shoppers expressed dissatisfaction with the location of the return machines, complaining about the inconvenience of having to walk a long distance through the store to return their bottles. One exasperated customer remarked:
“You have to walk all the way through the store to return a damn bottle.”
Photo: repont.hu
Retailers are dissatisfied too
The capacity of the vending machines also presents a problem. They fill up quickly, leading to crowds of confused customers. Shops also face challenges with the collection process. The returned bottles are not taken back promptly, resulting in overflowing bins. According to Tamás Kozák, Secretary General of the National Trade Association, retailers can only beg for the bottles to be taken away. Retailers have voiced their concerns about the reliability of these machines.
Kozák pointed out several issues. For instance, customers and retailers do not understand the core of an occurring software error when you put in the bottle correctly. He also notes that it is quite problematic that the fixing of these machines is relatively slow. If there is a machine saying it’s out of order, it should be replaced for smoother operation.
Unexpectedly high returns
Gábor Ozoli, spokesman for MoHu, acknowledged that the return rate of bottles is slightly higher than anticipated, necessitating effective management of these high returns. Despite the issues, Ozoli emphasised the importance of ensuring these millions of bottles are recycled appropriately. However, another challenge has emerged: customers are leaving non-returnable bottles behind, which also require storage. Nevertheless, the high percentage of returned bottles might not be too surprising, to encourage participation in the bottle redemption system, customers can receive their deposit fee immediately via an app.
Source: Facebook / MOHU
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6 Comments
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
It is a disgrace that Hungary has fallen to the Brussels bureaucrats and implemented this unnecessary nonsense. To boycott this system is the best you can do.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Another pea-brained “green” B.S. idea. What’s betting all the bottles wind up on a ship to Bangladesh or the Philippines, where they get burned or buried in landfills?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I won’t be drawn into argument, by the comments made by Steiner & bottlecrusher, but simple state, that it’s over-due the NEED to “Clean Up” this planet earth.
In my own conscience, using the (3) three waste disposal bins in our house for the purposes they are provided, in trust, their containment, leaving our property, what happens to there contents, hopefully, for Hungary and the planet, it is being disposed of, that contributes to the need of, to clean up planet earth.
We buy mainly our favoured dinner “over the counter” wine from SPA – opposite the Dohany Street, Synagogue – 1077.
Initially, our glass bottled wine, they were not bar coded and the “in store” return machine same as in this article, obviously REJECTED them
SPA – supermarket as mentioned – did charge on each bottle the .50 forint, which ethically and morally – very WRONG wrong wrong wrong of them.
The bar code appeared, and as recent as 29th July 2024 – in the SPA Supermarket – glass wine bottles – REJECTED.
CALMATOUS.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Almost sounds like an anti-renewable campaign with whiff of fossil fuels in the background.
However, moving faster through recycling to renewables is good for Hungary, unless it wants to remain dependent on Russia &/or fossil fuels?
Like the US fossil fueled Koch Network Heritage partnered with Danube Inst., concurs with Putin; wants to break up the EU, with help of the regime, to avoid regulatory constraints, protect fossil fuels and dodgy oligarchs?
But, is frustrated by majority of Hungarains wishing to remain in the EU, and same citizens are viewed as a threat by the Hungarian regime?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
The initiative is based on a pessimistic theory: the company providing the recycling services receives in advance the 50 HUF fee per bottle and gets to keep what people don’t recycle. To this end, what is their incentive for getting these machines to work?
The fee itself is probably too low as there’s little incentive for consumers to keep trying to return the bottles after use. Make it 500 HUF and everybody would return such – but then how would the recycling machine operator make any money?
Given the dissonance, I question how “green” this is.
And while I expect this must be working somewhere – here, at 1/6th the price of the actual product, I expect it will cause some cost-conscious consumers to swap out, or reduce their consumption. I for one now make my onw iced tea, am no longer buying beer and have ordered a soda maker.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
It has been working perfectly well in Nordic countries for more than a decade. Give it a chance – you’ll get the hang of it in no time. Much less trash thrown away and lying around with a recycling system in place.