The first month of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme yielded a considerable haul.
Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme Re-turn collected 2m drinks containers at machines across shops and supermarkets nationwide in its first month.
More than 750,000 transactions were recorded during the month of February.
“I am really encouraged by the support and participation shown by Irish consumers during the first month of the scheme”
Thursday 29 February was the most active day with some 201,000 drinks containers returned.
Plenty of bottle
Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn
There are now 2,202 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and over 150 manual return points across 1380 deposit return locations, facilitating the growing number of consumers helping to reduce litter and achieve our EU recycling targets.
Deposit Return Schemes are active across 15 European countries and have successfully promoted positive recycling practices.
Ireland’s rates of initial participation are very strong when compared to our EU counterparts. Romania, with a population of over 19m, launched its Deposit Return Scheme on 1 December 2023. It collected 31,000 containers in its first month of operation and 2.24m in its second month.
“I am really encouraged by the support and participation shown by Irish consumers during the first month of the scheme,” said Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn.
“Over this past weekend, we collected another 670,000 containers and to have nearly 3m deposit returns at this early stage shows a willingness and commitment to reducing litter, protecting our environment and better recycling.”
The Deposit Return Scheme is a practical circular economy initiative that aims to create a closed-loop recycling system guaranteeing that the material is returned and recycled.
The EU has set Ireland a target for the separate collection of 77% by 2025 and 90% by 2029.
Deposit Return is becoming a proven method of increasing recycling rates.
Ireland currently recycles approximately 60% of drinks containers.
