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05 Sept 2025

People divided over man at Deposit Return machine with two big black bags of bottles

Calls for 'etiquette' when returning bottles and cans to Deposit Return machines have been made on social media

People divided over man at Deposit Return machine with two big black bags of bottles

Courtesy of @ambergal47 on X

People on social media have debated whether there is a need for better 'etiquette' when returning bottles and cans to the Deposit Return machines. 

X (formerly Twitter) user @ambergal47 posted a picture at a Deposit Return machine or, reverse vending machine (RVM) as they are also known, in Dublin city

In the picture, an unknown person with two big black bags and box full of used bottles and cans is about to return their undamaged goods and be refunded.

The X user asks: "Can we please develop some sort of etiquette around returning the bottles and cans? Not sure it's fair to bring two black sacks and a box full in one go...  Or what do the good folk of Twitter think? This is Dublin city btw." 

While over 52.7K people viewed the post online, people debated the fact in the comments section, with one person saying: "Certainly time consuming, but I also wonder if someone is really under financial pressure - this may be a way for them to put food on the table". 

Another agreed, saying: "People do the best they can, when they can. Let them be."

The post on X attracted hundreds of comments, with many users noting that the RVM voucher scheme is 'ridiculous' and that 'more machines' are needed. 

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"The empties likely piled up because the machine wasn't working the last five times he [the man with the black bags and box] came to the shop," another person noted. 

"Brought up one and a half bin bags worth earlier myself and it took all of 5 minutes at the most. Unless they're having a load of stuff rejected I don't see why it would take longer than that," said someone else. 
The debate tumbles on whether a certain 'etiquette' is needed!

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