THE IRISH PUBLIC has collectively returned more than 1.6 billion bottles and cans through the Deposit Return Scheme since it kicked off at the beginning of last year.

The scheme has been receiving bottles and cans from consumers for dedicated recycling programmes since it was introduced in February 2024. 

Since then, more than 1.6 billion bottles and cans have been processed through the scheme.

Minister for Climate Darragh O’Brien said the high level of participation in the scheme “demonstrates that when change is right, Irish people will embrace it”. 

Re-turn, the company responsible for running the scheme, estimates that 798 million more containers are now being recycled each year compared to before the scheme began.

Additionally, it says that recycling rates for beverage containers have risen from 49% to an estimated 91%, with 76% of containers recycled through the scheme and 15% collected via standard recycling bins.

“These latest recycling figures are far beyond what we had projected to achieve just a year after the end of the transition phase for the scheme,” said Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn.

“They speak to the commitment of the Irish people to sustainability and their desire to support the vision of a greener, cleaner Ireland,” Foley said.

“It’s vital that we continue returning containers to maintain momentum and ensure lasting change.”

New recycling facility for Ireland

Re-turn has faced some criticism for needing to ship the plastic waste it collects abroad in order for it to be recycled.

Ireland does not currently have the kind of facility needed to carry out high-quality bottle-to-bottle recycling for PET plastic.

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said in May that it is a “scandal” that the majority of waste leaves Ireland as part of the recycling process.

In a response to his comments to The Journal at the time, a Re-turn spokesperson said that a “key step in fully recycling PET plastic bottles is turning them into food-grade plastic pellets, but no facility in Ireland can currently do this”.

Now, the company has confirmed that it is planning to develop Ireland’s first on-island PET bottle-to-bottle recycling facility, which will allow those bottles collected through the scheme to be fully recycled within Ireland.

“This step will reduce Ireland’s reliance on exporting PET plastic for processing and support Ireland’s long-term sustainability and circular economy goals,” it said.

It is currently engaged in a tender process to develop the facility.