Шампанско за смет? Champagne for Trash?
Sometimes humor could be the only thing getting us through the dark stuff...
For English, please, scroll down!
Днес ще се опитам да отговоря на въпроса, може ли да се купи бутилка българско шампанско с рециклиране?
Преди няколко дни за първи път застанах пред машина за рециклиране на Lidl (първите такива в България) и се почувствах като герой в мини мисия: "Върни бутилките и спаси планетата… или поне вземи някое Евро за шампанско, че то има нужда да се отпразнува нещо, което се случва сега, а в белите западни страни го има сигурно от 20-30 години." Пуснах опаковките една по една, машината ги глътна с ентусиазъм, а аз стоях отстрани като горд еко-герой.
Накрая получих два ековаучера — 1 евро и 0,96 евро. Това означаваше, че съм върнал 98 опаковки. Деветдесет и осем! Почувствах се като човек, който е изчистил половината океан… докато не видях, че изкупната цена е 2 евроцента на брой. Два. Цели. Цента. В този момент ентусиазмът ми леко се спъна, падна, стана, отупа се и продължи, но вече с по‑малко самочувствие. Миналата година, 2025-та, когато машините бяха пуснати, изкупната цена беше 5 стотинки, което е с четвърт повече. Е, ще преглътна и това, с глътка шампанско, надявам се!
Сравнение с бяла западна страна мога да направя само за Австрия, където реално ползвах такава машина в мол в Залцбург. Естествено, там депозитната система е друга вселена. Долкото успях да проверя, всяка PET бутилка и кен носят в момента 25 евроцента депозит. Това е повече от десет пъти над нашите 2 цента. В Австрия, ако върнеш 98 опаковки, можеш да си купиш хубав обяд. В България — 2 кенчета бира. И то от местните, а може би това е и целта. "Няма ли градус, няма радост", както изпя един приятел певец преди време.
Какво ми харесва в българските машини
- Работят бързо — почти като да играеш на автомат, само че вместо плюшено мече печелиш ваучер.
- Процесът е толкова лесен, че дори човек, който още се чуди що е то БГ-рециклиране, ще се справи.
- Създават навик — започваш да пазиш бутилките като ценни артефакти и да задобряваш в логистиката, че то с тия чували само Дядо Коледа може ми да е коуч.
- И най‑важното: усеща се, че правим крачка в правилата посока.
Къде изоставаме спрямо Австрия:
- 2 евроцента е по‑скоро „благодаря“, отколкото стимул.
- Не всички опаковки се приемат — понякога се чувстваш като на кастинг. "С капачките напред", както ме посъветва мъж, който ползваше съседната машина.
- В цяла България има само 9 такива машини. Само в Лидл. (Браво, за което! Надявам се скоро и в още магазини, във всеки град!)
- Не винаги работят. Първият път, когато отидох, специалната стаичка за рециклиране беше затворена, и то в работното време на магазина.
Присъдата:
Да, системата ни е млада. Да, депозитът е символичен. Но честно казано, харесва ми, че най‑после имаме такива машини. Харесва ми, че хората се редят, че предават бутилки и кенчета, че се шегуват с ваучерите. Това е началото на култура, която тепърва ще расте. Както ми каза същият този мъж до мен, в стаичката за рециклиране, вижда се, че е по-чисто в радиус от няколко километра около магазина...
А аз? Аз ще продължа да връщам опаковки. Дори и само заради удоволствието да гледам как машината ги "лапа" с апетит, а аз излизам с ваучер и усещането, че съм направил нещо добро — макар и за 2 цента.
И сега, отговорът на въпроса. "НЕ". За съжаление, не мога да купя бутилка шампанско с тези 1.96 евро. Най-евтиното, местно производство, което успях да намеря, струва 3.32 евро ( https://www.earda.bg/produkt/%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%8F%D0%BB%D0%B0-0-700/)
Защо не върнах повече? Тези 98 "бройки" бяха заели целия ми багажник на колата, а ремарке нямам. Два курса скоро няма да правя, че с тези цени на дизела в момента, заради ситуациятя около Иран, ще платя (и съответно замърся) много повече... Ех, живот... Ще преглъщам "на сухо"...
Today I will try to answer the question, is it possible to buy a bottle of Bulgarian champagne with recycling?
A few days ago, for the first time, I stood in front of a Lidl recycling machine (the first of its kind in Bulgaria) and felt like a hero on a mini mission: "Return the bottles and save the planet... or at least get a few EUR for champagne, because this act needs to be celebrated, something that is happening now, and in the Western EU countries it has probably been there for 20-30 years." I put the stuff in one by one, the machine swallowed them with enthusiasm, and I felt like a proud eco-hero.
In the end, I received two eco-vouchers - 1 euro and 0.96 euro. This meant that I had returned 98 packages. Ninety-eight! I felt like a person who had cleaned half the ocean... until I saw that the purchase price was 2 euro cents each. Two. Whole. Cent. At that moment, my enthusiasm stumbled a little, fell, got up, dulled and continued, but with less self-confidence. Last year, 2025, when the machines were launched, the purchase price was 5 stotinki, which is a quarter more. Well, I'll swallow that too, with a sip of champagne, I hope!
I can only make a comparison with a "normal" western country for Austria, where I actually used such a machine in a mall in Salzburg. Of course, the deposit system there is a different universe. As far as I was able to check, each PET bottle and can currently "pays" a 25 eurocent deposit. This is more than ten times our 2 cents. In Austria, if you return 98 packages, you can buy a nice lunch. In Bulgaria — 2 cans of beer. And from the locals, and maybe that's the goal. "No alcohol, no joy", as a singer friend sang some time ago.
What I like about Bulgarian machines
- They work quickly — almost like playing a slot machine, only instead of a teddy bear you win a voucher.
- The process is so easy that even a person who is still wondering what BG-recycling is, will cope.
- They create a habit — you start to keep the bottles and the cans as valuable artifacts and get better at logistics, because with these bags only Santa Claus can be my coach.
- And most importantly: it feels like we are taking a step in the right direction.
Where we lag behind Austria:
- 2 euro cents is more of a "thank you" than an incentive.
- Not all packaging is accepted — sometimes you feel like you are in a casting. "With the caps first," as a man who used the neighboring machine advised me.
- There are only 9 such machines in all of Bulgaria. Only in Lidl. (Well done! I hope more stores will have them soon, in every city!)
- They don't always work. The first time I went, the special recycling room was closed, and that was during the store's opening hours.
The verdict:
Yes, our system is young. Yes, the deposit is symbolic. But honestly, I like that we finally have such machines. I like that people are lining up, handing in bottles and cans, joking about the vouchers. This is the beginning of a culture that is still growing. As the same man next to me, in the recycling room, told me, it is clearly cleaner within a radius of several kilometers around the store...
And me? I will continue to return packaging. If only for the pleasure of watching the machine "devour" them with appetite, and I leave with a voucher and the feeling that I have done something good — even if for 2 cents.
And now, the answer to the question. "NO". Unfortunately, I can't buy a bottle of champagne with these 1.96 euros. The cheapest, locally produced one I could find costs 3.32 euros ( https://www.earda.bg/produkt/%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%8F%D0%BB%D0%B0-0-700/)
Why didn't I return more? These 98 "pieces" took up the entire trunk of my car, and I don't have a trailer. I won't be doing two courses soon, because with these diesel prices at the moment, due to the situation around Iran, I will pay (and consequently pollute) much more... Oh well... I'll swallow it "dry"...
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This is actually ridiculous, considering how the world is currently being "protected" with bombs, explosions and whatnot. In fact, I personally was very angry with Lidl for these two cents, until I realized that in Bulgaria there is no such deposit policy, which is typical of developed Western countries. In this line of thought, Lidl is even doing something much more than what it is obliged to do for this country. But... considering their higher prices compared to Western countries, the corruption and lawlessness they are allowed to commit, I wonder on what basis they are doing this and how much they profit from it. Because there's no way this was done for people, for nature or anything. I'm glad for your enthusiasm. I still continue to separate the trash, I can't stop doing it, it's a part of me, but I try not to think about whether this separated trash is really going to its intended purpose, or is it just mixed somewhere with the rest of the general trash. Because in this country nothing happens the right way.
And yet, I expect that while I'm alive they'll set up a place to collect old equipment, because I don't even have anywhere to throw away my broken mouse. I don't even have anywhere to throw away my expired medications. There's just nowhere (if you want to save the planet)...
What can I say... sad but true, as the lyrics of the song...
@blessedlife 🌷
Let me assure you: we also have fun with broken machines (or kilometre-long queues in front of them) in Germany. Yes, the deposit here is also 25 pence. But you paid that in advance on top of the regular purchase price. When you return the deposit, you just get it back. In that respect, I personally wouldn't care whether it was 2 or 25 pence. The amount was probably set based on the pain threshold of the average German: up to what amount is the deposit irrelevant and the empties are still thrown away instead of making the effort... The fact that people today (have to) make a living from collecting bottles was certainly not taken into account.
Incidentally, the cheapest champagne I could find here costs €21... That would be covered by your load of bottles ;-)) Of course, I have no idea what it tastes like...
I see your point :) Still, well, given the prices for the same products are usually much bigger here, I suppose we also pay for the deposit anyway, but there isn't such a "custom" to return it. We aren't there yet :)
Many people aren't happy here, because it is really easy to compare the prices for the same products (especially in Lidl, here about the half of the stuff is made in Germany). Dairy products are +30% - +100% sometimes. Probably not the best comparison but the main voices say - "see, in the normal countries 0.25, here - 0.02 EUR".
Some say - Bulgaria is a small market, not fair to compare to bigger ones, and costs of transport must be added on top (no tax or extra VAT as we're all in the EEA). Then, however, I compare with our neighbor, Greece, similar market in size, and the prices in their Lidl are again, much better than ours. Quality of the Greek products... unfortunately it is always better that ours :( From time to time we go to a city in Greece that's about 120 km from our house and even with the high gas prices it's still cheaper to load groceries for two weeks...
Probably I should've called the product from my link a "sparkling wine", champagne is probably a trade mark? With such a price I bet they don't pay royalties :)))
I am sure drinking up a bottle of this one would guarantee headaches on the next morning! :P :D
Thank you and... cheers! :)
With us it depends how much you receive back on a bottle but ..you only receive back what you paid for. So you pay for the drink + the price of the bottle (glass or plastic or can).
During my childhood the milkman delivered at home in glass bottles but I doubt we paid for those bottles. We simply have them back (cleaned) as he delivered the new order.
We did receive a refund for the glass bottles (just milk, yoghurt, custard, buttermilk and beer nothing else) about 30-35 years ago. No machines but a human collected them.
If you ask me this problem counts for most countries. Back then as the EU started they told us every product within the EU will cost everywhere the same.
No way. Shopping in Germany is at least 30% cheaper, same for Italy and if it comes to Lidl it's by far not the cheapest supermarket.
Even Malta is cheaper although this is an island which beats me. Also we deal with empty shelves and fewer products unlike Malta, how come?
It was more than 30 years ago, but I clearly remember the glass bottles for everything - milk, yogurt, boza (very popular back then, nowadays out of fashion but still sold at many places), beer, even Coca-Cola, specific and different shapes and sizes, even colors for each of the products. We had to wash them good and keep them, it was hard to buy new stuff if the empty bottles have not been returned first. :) Hm, I seem to miss those times. Everything tasted much better.
The standard of living here is so screwed, that Lidl is unfortunately one of the cheapest stores. We don't have all of the big chains though. Only Billa, Kaufland, Lidl and Metro (not exactly an everyday store but still), from the top of my head. No Aldi and none of the UK chains.
I think it is a bit utopic to even imagine products cost the same everywhere as all the prices depend on the value/prices of the services, salaries, etc. and those have huge discrepancies around the union.
I don't know what would be the entry-level monthly salary for Lidl in the Netherlands, but I saw a public advertisement for the Bulgarian Lidl with gross monthly salary of about 700 EUR. I guess I could safely bet it is more than 2000 EUR there :) probably more in the big cities...
The only time I've seen empty shelves here was during the covid panic when people were overstocking with certain products.
I've seen much worse though, in 1991, I was a student, living far away from my family, the government was "former"-communist and the economy was so screwed that we were given coupons for bread and cheese in small quantities and in order to actually get some, I had to wake up at 4:00 AM and get in a long queue long before the shops open.
Bulgarians joke about this situation - during the communism there was a deficit of everything but people had money. Nothing to buy though. Presently, there is surplus of everything one could think of but now people can't afford it 'cause they don't have enough money. Funny... thinking of it, we're getting closer to the Brazil model - 1-2% superrich, no middle-class and the most of the population struggles to buy food and medicine, and pay for heating during the winters.
Sorry, this came out too long :) Sweet dreams :)
At Lidl we have self scan and paying meaning the crumpy cashier's are soon history. The shelves are packed in most cases by students meaning this is a side job and way saver than being a newspaper delivery boy. Btw the prices of Lidl are not the same in the entire country, the west is cheaper with nearly everything.
If I may believe the news Hungarians have the lowest salary of Europe.
🍀❤️
@wakeupkitty
Interesting fact, a nearby Lidl store had about 6 self scans points but they removed it while Kaufland introduced a dozen of new points and they didn't have such. I think Kaufland is under the same mother company, as they often sell the same products here, sometimes at exactly the same prices, fueling people who claim there are cartel agreements.
I did some searching, the minimum wage as of 2026 in Hungary is said to be about 815 EUR while here it is 620 EUR, so the difference is still noticeable, not in our favour, unfortunately :)
<3
It's a difference, but I assume the costs of living also play a role. Both isn't much.
Can be one is better off working somewhere else, although Lidl also offers education. No need to finish some school to be a manager.
How about the taxes?
Interesting Kaufland belongs to the same club... For sure there are cartel agreements. They will push out all the small businesses.
No Kaufland in Hungary and Hungary News frequently mentions Spar, Tesco and Aldi want to leave the country. More left for Lidl if they leave and Penny Market and the small shops.
True and true!
The government says we have the lowest wage taxes in EU , flat 10% no matter how big the salary is.
Then, however, comes a big injustice. Even the minimal wage, that is is very hard to live on with, also get taxed. Then, when you add the obligatory health, two pensions and unemployment taxes, it all jumps to 20% or more.
Then, consider the fact Bulgaria is the only country in EU that has 20%VAT on all food and other stuff needed. That pushes up food prices a lot too. The state is happy, more money for corrupted politicians to steal...
Penny had many stores in Bulgaria like ten years ago but they all went bankrupt due to poor management, I think it was then Checz subsidiarity and they forced only Checz managers and that didn't play well in the long run.
Have a great Sunday!
Yes, champagne is always made from specific grapes in a specific growing region in France. The one I mentioned to you, for €21, is a cheap offer at ALDI. Really good champagne costs €75 upwards on average. And it doesn't cause headaches at all! Still, it's not ‘my’ drink, if I have a choice...
Exactly.
Not my "specialty" either, I'm more of a red-wine/beer guy, but a couple of times throughout the year, it works. Holidays, celebrations, etc.
Bubbly makes me wobbly :DDD
🍀❤️
@wakeupkitty
Congratulations you are nominated by SC05 True Colours.
https://steemit.com/hive166405/@blessedlife/true-colours-9-curation-report-week-2
Thank you :)
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what that means though :) apart from that's good :D
Upvoted! Thank you for supporting witness @jswit.