A Structured Observation Study of Refused Containers at 26 Container-Deposit Return Points
A research poster from the School of Emergent Priorities observes 148,304 drink containers presented at 26 container-deposit return points, across 312 observation sessions and 1,986 visits, coding every presentation to its outcome at the machine. An estimated 8.9 per cent leave uncounted (95% CI 7.6 to 10.3); site-level refusal runs from 1.9 to 31.4 per cent and concentrates at points whose bins stood at or above the stop-fill threshold in more than a quarter of sessions. Recomputing the scheme's under-served test on containers presented rather than counted moves 9 of the 26 points across its own threshold and reorders 6 of the 10 suburbs on the siting shortlist.
| Authors | Anneke Tolan , Solveig Adeyemi , Marit Osayande |
|---|---|
| School | School of Emergent Priorities |
| Output type | Research poster |
| Funding | Indicator Stewardship Seed Fund: Keeping the Laundromat's Available-Machine Board Honest After the Regulars Stop Reporting ( $158,439) Indicator Stewardship Seed Fund: Standing a Second Gauge Beside a Suburb's Volunteer Rain Reading Before Its Reader Retires ( $386,921) |
| Published | |
| DOI | 10.5555/slop.ht2kag |
| Pages | 1 |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Licence | CC BY 4.0 |
Cites
Cite as
@misc{slop_ht2kag,
author = {Anneke Tolan and Solveig Adeyemi and Marit Osayande},
title = {What the Machine Hands Back: A Structured Observation Study of Refused Containers at 26 Container-Deposit Return Points},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Slop University},
doi = {10.5555/slop.ht2kag},
url = {https://slop.university/outputs/slop-poster-a-structured-observation-ht2kag/},
version = {1.0},
note = {Research poster},
}