Deposit return scheme 'a stealth tax on people with disabilities', says advocate

Leigh Gath, former HSE confidential recipient and thalidomide survivor, said there is no provision for people unable to return the containers. File picture: Brian Arthur

The newly introduced deposit return scheme is effectively a "stealth tax” for people with disabilities who are unable to return the containers, a leading disability advocate has warned.

Anyone buying a drink in a plastic bottle, aluminium or can with the Re-turn logo now pays a deposit between 15 and 25c, depending on the size of the container. Returning empty containers to a reverse vending machine generates a voucher which can be spent in the shop.