Re-turn has reported that 300 million drinks containers have been returned in Ireland since the start of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on 1 February 2024.
The latest milestone was achieved on Thursday 18 July.
Over 3.66 million containers were returned on Saturday 13 July, the highest number ever returned in a single day and a far cry from 2 million returned in the entire month of February.
The bumper weekend continued with Sunday 14 July with over 3.49 million returns.
The total number of returns over the weekend was over 7.1 million, the highest number of returns so far across two days.
Some 90 million containers were returned in June as part of the scheme, and 54 million have been returned in July to date.
Speaking on the continued growth of the DRS, chief executive of Re-turn Ciaran Foley said, “As we approach the six-month mark in operation in Ireland, it is incredible to see the figures continue to rise as consumers embrace this scheme.
“The immediate benefits are already evident with less litter being reported across Ireland.
“I have no doubt that the longer-term benefits such as increased recycling rates and community fundraising will be achieved sooner than expected if this moment continues.”
In June, Re-turn launched ‘Return for Children,’ a charity initiative supporting six children’s organisations in Ireland.
Working with Re-turn, events such as Electric Picnic and Taste of Dublin set up collection points where attendees can return their drinks containers and donate the deposit equally between the six charities.
The organisations are Barnardos Ireland, Barretstown, Childline by ISPCC, Jack & Jill, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice an Make-A-Wish Ireland.
Read More: Re-turn Reports Average Of 3m Containers Returned Daily In June
