• bstix
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    2 days ago

    A local store just upgraded the deposit machine, so instead of depositing one single can at a time, I now empty an entire bag of hundreds of cans into the machine and let it sort it out. It’s great, saves lots of time and makes everything easier. Instead of bringing a shopping bag with 20 cans everytime I shop I can take an entire sack of 200 cans every month or so.

    Unfortunately… the same kind of people who used to cause queues with their 200 can garbage bags at the usual refund machines also figured this out, so now they’re causing a queue at the new machine with trailer loads of garbage bags full of thousands of cans.

    I have no idea where they get all those cans.

    video of the machine

    • BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      I used the local bulk deposit yesterday. Had two garbage bags. The guy in front of me had four, and the elderly couple a head of that guy had glass bottles and the machine broke down. Before the poor PFY had fixed the machine and the four bags guy was done, I had spent at least 15min waiting in line and another 5 at the machine.

      I went into the store and when done with the groceries for a week the last guy in line when I was done had only moved up one place, and another two people had joined the line.

      In theory just dumping your bags in the machine seems like a timesaver. In reality all I got was 20min of audio book, side eye from other shoppers, and fingers that weren’t sticky.

    • hash@slrpnk.net
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      2 days ago

      I would suspect some sort of scheme bringing cans from a neighboring state or whatever without a deposit. Just one more reason to wish for a national deposit program in the US.

      • bstix
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        2 days ago

        That’s not possible with the system in my country, but I agree, it ought to be standard in EU too.

        I think the machine attracts more people with lots of cans and also teaches more people not to bother refunding often.

        My point, if there is one, is that when technology makes life easier, it’s human nature to become even lazier, to the point where the technology doesn’t solve the issue it was made for.

    • Apathy Tree@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 days ago

      When I moved into my last apartment, my entire storage area was full of bags of cans.

      They belonged to a neighbor, who was using my empty storage because his was full, I found out 2 weeks later when he came ripping up to my door demanding to know what I did with his money.

      When I found out he meant the cans, I laughed, told him I threw out his trash for him, and told him if he ever darkened my door again I’d call the cops.

      They weren’t even crushed. His own storage was probably plenty if he’d be less lazy.

      • Killer@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Lots of places don’t take crushed cans because people would put sand in em and crush em so they’d weigh more.