Environment

Deposit scheme refunds €1.2m to customers returning cans and plastic bottles

Since programme put in place at start of February, almost seven million containers have been put into reverse-vending machines

The money-back scheme encourages people to return used drinks containers to be recycled into new containers. Photograph: Gareth Chaney

Cormac McQuinn
Wed Mar 20 2024 - 05:30

About €1.2 million has been refunded to people who have returned cans and plastic bottles over the first six weeks of the new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Figures provided by the Department of the Environment show almost seven million containers have been returned by customers.

That breaks down as about 3.6 million cans and 3.4 million plastic bottles.

Data showing what percentage of containers, placed on the market or sold last month, were returned, will not be available until the end of March.

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The scheme has been operating since February 1st. It is run by not-for-profit company Re-turn.

Consumers who buy a drink in a plastic bottle or aluminium can with the Re-turn logo now pay a deposit of between 15 and 25 cent, depending on container size, in addition to the price.

Undamaged, empty drinks containers can be returned to reverse-vending machines at participating shops. The deposit is refunded in the form of a voucher for that outlet.

In a written update to the Dáil, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said feedback from consumers and businesses had been “largely positive” but “some issues are being reported”.

[ The Deposit Return Scheme: Everything you need to know ]

[ Deposit return scheme operators Re-turn say first day teething problems were anticipated ]

Examples include “confusion over barcodes and labels”, reverse-vending machine “downtime” and rejection of some containers. He said, “These issues are being addressed by Re-turn.”

There is a transition period for the scheme until June 1st to allow for the sale of old stock and the introduction of new stock with the Re-turn logo.

A department spokesman said: “As expected, returns and refunds in the first few weeks of the scheme were low, as new stock was being gradually introduced by retailers. However, there has been a steady increase in the last week.”

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The collection target for the scheme as a percentage of containers placed on the market each year is 77 per cent by the end of 2025.

This rises to 90 per cent by the end of 2029 in line with the European Union’s single use plastics directive.

The spokesman said there were no shorter-term targets but the department was “monitoring the scheme closely and receives regular updates from Re-turn… on its performance”.

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times

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