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635 MILLION CONTAINERS have been collected through the Deposit Return Scheme since its launch in February.
Consumers have claimed back deposit refunds worth €110 million, according to new figures released by the Department of the Environment.
Additionally, €70,000 has been collected through the scheme’s Return for Children charity initiative.
The scheme that was introduced this year involves customers paying a deposit on plastic and aluminium beverage containers of 15 cent or 25 cent, depending on the size of the product.
Customers can then return the bottle at a reverse vending machine or to certain other locations and receive a voucher to claim back their deposit.
In ordinary recycle bins, where lots of different types of materials are disposed of together and contamination is common, plastic bottles are often no longer of ‘food-safe grade’ and must be recycled into lower-grade types of plastic, which means new plastic must be used to create more bottles.
However, the more sanitary process of collection through the Deposit Return scheme means the plastic can be recycled into a bottle again more frequently, reducing the amount of new materials that are consumed.
The monthly collection rate through the scheme has reached an average of more than 100 million containers.
The figures give an insight into the large volume of single-use plastic and aluminium products that Irish consumers are purchasing and discarding every month.
Earlier today, the European Commission published figures for 2022 showing that 41% of plastic packaging waste was recycled overall in the EU.
On average, each person living in the EU created 36.1 kg of plastic packaging waste in 2022.
Ireland was among the lower performing countries, recycling only 32.1% of plastic packaging waste last year.
Slovakia, Belgium, Germany and Slovenia had the best recycling rates of plastic packaging waste, at 59.6%, 54.2%, 51.1% and 50.9% respectively.
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im sure you’ll find just ad many were collected and recycled before the sneaky tax..
@Stiles: moan harder why don’t you
@Stiles: I pay my 25c on a bottle, deposit it when it’s finished, and get a 25c voucher back… how is this either a tax or sneaky?
@Stiles: what tax,it’s a refund of a deposit, my bins are charged pay by weight so I am happy not to have to put cans and bottles in it and they now go directly to recycling without having to be sorted from other stuff
@Ajax Penumbra: When bottles aren’t accepted in different shops. You’re not going to drive back to the other shop to get the deposit. How many millions of bottles and cans are bought at airports that are never reclaimed! Someone is getting very rich from this joke of a scheme which puts out people who religiously use their green bin! Having to Re-claim your own money is such a scam. You pay for the value of the can/bottle in the price of the goods…… Get rid of the deposit. Let those who want to use their green bin use it. Let those who want to return it use those machines and get a smaller refund for the material they’re returning. Win win!
@Margaret Deacon: yep, plastic bottles and aluminum drinks cans weigh a ton…., you’re saving a fortune
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Bottles are accepted in any machine once it has the logo! Buy in Ballinahinch and return in Ballincollig, no problem!
@Ajax Penumbra: the problem is that producers pay a fee and they pass this increase to consumer. Bin charges will go up because they sell on the aluminium like they use to. Finally not sure if people are aware of this but Re-Turn purchased a number diesel fueled trucks to collect the bottles/cans from the shops.
So now you have extra trucks on the road, where we already had the trucks doing this for us in the first place. Makes sense? Doesn’t to me anyways.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Sorry pal, from first hand experience, I’ve had plenty of “this bottle is not accepted in this store” messages….. Thanks for trying to correct me on my own experiences though!
@Margaret Deacon: recycle bin isn’t pay by weight – do keep up.
@Ajax Penumbra: bEcAuSe Rte are ConTroling the public duhhhhh
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: If it has the logo it should be accepted. Complain! Ask questions!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Jesus are you actually looking to show your ignorance in what is a good story, you have tried economics and tax now you’re having a go at…..who knows. Stick to your grade which isn’t even a C…….
@Ajax Penumbra: It’s a tax because you pay it at every shop, but most shops do not return your deposit.
@Stiles: Well show us the figures batman
@Thomas Sheridan: it is in Dublin
@Stiles: Sure there were. Keep telling yourself that. Lol.
@Stiles: You have won the EEJIT prize of the day.
@Ajax Penumbra: You are right. It isn’t, but it is an extra cost that now has to be budgeted for in the weekly shop and was an unnecessary scheme, seeing as people were already recycling those items in the more than adequate waste collection services the country has. What is worse is that we need to keep those items safe as they are rejected for the slightest bit of damage on them, which us ridiculous seeing as the machines crush them as you put them in. I don’t know about you, but I dont exactly have the room to be keeping items from being damaged, which means extra trips to the shops, whereas before, I would stand on them before putting them into my recycling bin……
@Ajax Penumbra: ……But seeing as you seem to be a proponent of the scheme, maybe you can explain why it was needed in the first place, and seeing as it is not a charity, who is making money from it? I do know that shops get 2 cents for every returned item, but I don’t think there are enough kept deposits to cover that, so where does the money come from? The public coffers? It was a system that wasn’t needed, creates extra hardship on families, and causes extra road trips to in order to find a working DRS machine and return the items, and to top it all we still need our recyling bins because the DRS does not take everything.
@Margaret Deacon: Maybe look into changing your waste collection service. As far as I know, the recycling bin is part of the set charge, and only true rubbush is paid by weight, and at that, only if it goes over a certain limit.
@Dave Harris: It’s where I am, and I guess not where Thomas is either.
FG are playing an absolute blinder
@Paul O’Mahoney: ah my old friend Paul the know it all, who thinks his opinion is the only correct one…..Firstly, I’m replying to someone and not commenting on the article as an OP. That’s allowed isn’t it?!?! Secondly I gave my opinion on how I think it should operate so that the scheme still operates, litter remains down and people who use their green bin for it still can without the inconvenience or losing a deposit. Where’s the ignorance there? We are all allowed to have opinions that may differ from your own…… Getting insulting and personal again for no reason?!?! Seems to be your M.O….. Maybe just be mature and don’t engage! “Stick to your grade……”?!?! Haha, what sort of man child are you!
@Pat Barry: Sorry, that was meant to say ” it isn’t where I am…..”
@Matthew Connolly: nut job
@Pat Barry: Once the barcode isn’t damaged, they’ve been fine for me with a bit of denting. I don’t drive, up until recently was sharing an apartment with a housemate, kept them in a granny trolley I have. Bring the granny trolley when I go do a big shop, and if it’s not in my local area I’ll go to one that I know has a few machines in case one or two are broken (which hasn’t happened as much as I thought it would from other people talking). It’s inconvenient but don’t need a mansion to store them somewhere.
Meaningless figure…what is more valid is how much is unclaimed.
@The facts: Not really. If you don’t use the receipt having returned the bottles, etc, then it’s on you.
@The facts: that’s a problem for those who don’t return them
@Margaret Deacon: return them where? Almost none of the shops you buy from accept returns.
@The facts: Do the maths and make it a meaningful figure, even a 90% significance would be hugely beneficial to our understanding…..thks in advance.
@Trevor Donoghue: recycling machines
@Trevor Donoghue: Only shops smaller than 250m2 can refuse to accept returns
@Margaret Deacon: The public was returning them anyway as part of our waste collections in our recycle bins. Why should I now have to budget extra into my weekly shop for the deposits, lose my money on return of items that get rejected, and make extra trips to the shops to return items because I have no place to keep them, when I was already returning them anyway as part of my waste collection recycle bin, which is not pay-by-weight, like you tried claiming further up
Deposit Scam Scheme.
@Daniel Skelton: wow Daniel, handing out a roasting there with your quick wit
@Foscam Dl: He’s such a cad…..
And 650 million rejected..
@Darragh Mcnamara: The scheme has been used successfully for many years in other European countries and yet it’s only in Ireland that there’s moaning going on …
@Gaelactico: Only people that complain are the typical degenerates that complain about everything
@Gaelactico: exactly
I wonder how true the recycling part of it is considering that over 70% of our recycling bins that are collected ends up going into a incinerator
@John: If the incinerator is working properly at a high enough temperature then no problem!
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: yep just poliution up always go to nord winds
@A W: sso stangely like chimneys painted only for one side to be visible redfor sauth…
Seems like a great success to me, well done all.
@Hotirish: as the plastic bottles can only be recycled a limited number of times but aluminum endless times, all drinks going aluminum would be ideal perhaps
@Temp Stuff: Why not glass like in the old days. Only 30 years ago, when we bought milk or drinks, it was in glass bottles which and we paid a deposit on the bottle. When we returned the bottle undamaged, the deposit was returned, and most importantly, reused. The only extra energy was in sterilizing it for the next use. If the bottle was broken, you lost your deposit, but the bottle was recycled.
Seeing as we consume approximately 2.1 billion drinks containers per annum,…. We’re claiming back a third, while return get to keep the difference, Returns directors include people from Diageo, Britvic Ireland, coca cola….
Makes you think
@John Darker: Accounts just filed to the Companies Office show that its 11 directors received total remuneration of €401,356 last year, having already been paid €313,087 during the 10 months of 2022 following the firm’s incorporation
I know this is helping in a sense but should the emphasis not be on the producers of the bottles rather than Joe public left to sort it out.
@Alex Kane: yes, they should cancel using containers for the liquids and simply sell the levitated liquids directly. Or maybe have the producers do daily house calls to every home in the country. Alex has really thought this through.
@Foscam Dl: Your mother!
How many drinks containers were sold in that same time period, just so we can put a meaning to the figures?
@Finn Schøyen: as per the independent a few months ago ” some 2 billion per year
@Finn Schøyen: Feckin loads
Liebour and soc demos backed the hate bill, no marks for guessing what these vain parties are going to do after the election
@K O: so did SF
@K O: will keep mocking all, us again and again…
@K O: Cry harder.
@Alan: Incorrect. PBP/Aontú/SF and all present independents voted against the bill.
@Darth O’Leary: But for SF they really didn’t as it passed all stages prior to the vote with their full support…but you know that , like was that child 16 or 17 well he certainly wasn’t 17 , as shown by the grovelling, what might happen next Tuesday……
@Paul O’Mahoney: another day another u turn from the pedo supporters
As great as this scheme is they could have somehow stopped the bin companies from using it as an excuse to hike peoples bills cos they are losing out with a genuine scheme that is helping to stop pollution etc
Doing your part to help fight climate change or recycling shouldnt see people being ripped off
how many city/town streets have been ruined by people rummaging through bins and leaving them open for the birds to have a field day?
@Niall English: 4?
@Niall English: for people why do not work at the moment or can not work, it is something to do for green aganda, also great mentally revarding for society, so win win…
@Niall English: you’re an insufferable lord. You’re probably dictating to your butler to type your replies.
@A W: having some scrote rummaging through your bin is never desirable
@Niall English: My local area is tidier because there are less lazy dirtbirds flinging cans and bottles on the ground.
I’ve 635 million cans and bottles here in the house to add to that total. Returning can be sometimes hard to do. The map of collection points needs updating. Smaller localised return points sometimes aren’t there. Never existed in some cases.
@Meh Meh: Ballycanew in Wexford has one and it’s population isn’t huge but they seem to make it work.
The number is meaningless without a comparison…how many containers were people putting in their green bins? For me the number would be exactly the same, except now I have to keep bags of cans hanging around my house.
@Philip Cullen: Same here. Everything that could be recycled went into my recycling bin at home. But now we have to go to shops more often in order to return stuff because there is no room for storing stuff undamaged
@Philip Cullen: and you can’t even stamp on them so extra space taken up
How many cans were sold since February ?
How many bottles were sold since February ?
The difference between sold and returned might be interesting.
Any explanation yet from Ossian on where the unclaimed Millions are going & will he publish the salaries & bonuses of those in Management & the Directors of the Limited Company, many of whom are very rich individuals already. The most blatant corrupt scheme in decades, letting the rich Drinks sector design a scheme that enriches them even more. A scheme that Minister Ossian Smith couldn’t answer basic questions on in the Dail chamber & had to come back on multiple occasions with replies
Given up on the return scheme at this point, Bin liners full of cans and bottles cluttering up the house all the time, and all bought locally, but no way to return them without a car as most shops don’t take returns. Tired of the mess and clutter, so they are all going in to the green bins again.
Why don’t they simply fix it by allowing you to return them to the shops you bought them from?
Round of applause for everyone,.Great work all, really helping the environment. Go Ireland!
Why is this scheme actually making the news at the end of every month and the start of every month? Something is not adding up here…. A lot of of our landfill rubbish is being transported from landfills across Ireland to the Waste incinerator in Poolbeg in Dublin…
@Tommy: propaganda
@Furious George – The Wasp: ‘Propaganda’ LOL You’re one of those lads then …
Netherland recycled 900 million plastic bottle last year, 22 million citizens !
Ireland by end of next Feb. 25
Will pass 1.23 billion. Bottle.
@ibrahim Sudane: Ireland consumes over 2 billion per year….as per the independent a few months ago
@ibrahim Sudane: there’s 18 million people in the Netherlands.
@Paul O’Mahoney: you’re a delightful human as always. Did Ibrahim really warrant that insult?!?! Maybe you should find another hobby than trolling forums and insulting people. Sad really!!!!!
@Paul O’Mahoney: thank you it’s reflect your mental state !
I welcome this development, I hope the Green Party will be in the next government
@Jockey Jim: Green policies working!!
I bought a pair of trainers made from recycled plastic a few years ago and they still hold up today. Totally off topic but I thought it was worth mentioning.
It just goes to show how much rubbish we create, it’s disgusting. I hope this scheme reduces people’s consumption of plastic bottles especially. Reduce reuse recycle, in that order.
So how many non recycle receipts have been issues???
@Michael Fleming: How us that possible?
@Paul O’Mahoney: Did you not know? The vouchers issued by the DRS machines cannot be recycled. Maybe you should stop calling people “thick” and then prove how much in that direction you are yourself!
The perpetual whingers out in force. They’ve a problem for every solution.
1 in 4 not returned, so a nice extra 330 million charge plus a possible double charge if also own recycling bin charges.
How come for some reason with all green initiatives lately, that the ordinary consumer gets a double charge for less service and more effort on own part and the ‘businesses’ get the free money.
It just like carbon taxes/credits distributed to industry to compensate when even the slightest chance that green initiatives impacts their profits.
All a scam perpetuated by spin, pr and crafted narratives, beautiful presented in a nice pretty basket and save the planet bow on top.
@Michale Kane: meant 30 mill. Approx. .. sh … ah too late for maths, perfect time for another hot one ..
You can only recycle plastic a couple of times before it breaks down toi much and goes to landfill anyway. Make everything glass if you really care, that can be recycled unlimited times
It’s a pity we have to tax a scheme like this. Shouldn’t we naturally recycle. Naturally avoid unnecessary waste. Yeh I know. Dream on.
@Happy Harry: but it isn’t a tax though, but you go and try and learn something.
@Paul O’Mahoney: It is a tax if the shops don’t give you your deposit back.
@Trevor Donoghue: It’s theft if I leave a shop without paying for something. What’s your point? Can’t find a shop to return to? Can’t ask, enquire, complain? You’ll have moaning and whining down though, I’m sure.
Absolutely amazing achievement by all. We are definitely on the right track. However, I have actually seen people picking through public bins, filling plastic bags to get this refund. Bit
@Caitrín Ní Fhearghail: Win/Win then!
All the usuals on here love it, the phuckin sleeve rollers.
@Eric Gaffney: “Excellent”. /Tents fingers
@Eric Gaffney: woke nonsense is all it is, life is far too short for that BS
Great scheme. Streets are cleaner and if your not a lazay fu..ker it is of no extra cost
Great to see it working so well.
‘Rabble, rabble, rabble. It’s been nearly a year, what do you mean we haven’t ended the scheme by continually and exclusively giving out about it online?’
‘It hasn’t worked boss. A lot of people are seeing real benefits from it.’
‘Suboptimal but keep at it for the foreseeable anyway. Now update me on how our 25 years of giving out about the NCT is getting on. We must be close to ending that by this stage?’
‘Eh…’
Its an easy fix to fiddle the numbers for the EU. Ireland currently exports ‘approximately 82% of packaging waste, with only about 18% managed within the country, primarily due to limited domestic recycling infrastructure.’ At least since 2018 we’re not shipping our waste to China anymore. Would love to know where these bottles go after the machines are empty. The system pales in comparison to our recycling of glass, which we do excellently, and is er free.
A half assed idea I lived in Holland 30 years ago and there was a deposit return on every container glass or plastic
63 million 15 cents that was paid by customers on every bottle (of which you can not opt out off )and the smell of the bottle dispencer rats and vermin everywhere the stink of the car ,the queues of 30 mins plus and its a success get a grip on reality people see the bigger picture .they will tax you on the return prices etc etc .the bin charges are going up as there are no plastic waste or aluminium in the green bins .so what’s the alternative you say .
RETURN TO THE WAY IT WAS .
Christmas savings. The vouchers have no expiry date, so I’ve saved them and will hand in a wad to pay for my Xmas groceries.
That’s a lotta Coors…
@Joe Bergin: Cans or bottles?
Completely pointless scheme . It is 20 years too late and has resulted in duplication of effort. Waste companies have to increase charges to make up for the revenue loss. Plus you have all these containers clogging up kitchens etc. another Green party virtue signalling exercise along the lines of cycle lanes which in my experience here in Galway only a minute amount of the population use if at all. There is a big one on the road to Kinvara from Kilcolgan which no one uses. It only goes half of the distance and the Peleton people don’t use it preferring to block the main road. The half of the route with no bike lane has no hard shoulders so pedestrian traffic ends up walking on the road if they dare. The sooner the Green party is history the better.
have your say