Re-turn, the operator of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), today announced that over 500 million drinks containers have been returned to the scheme since its launch on 1 February.
This impressive milestone was reached over the weekend, with the busiest day of returns thus far landing on Sunday 8 September, with 4.32 million returns in a single day.
As uptake and adoption of the scheme continues to grow, the Re-turn network of deposit return points has also increased by more than 800 since its launch.
There are now over 2,500 reverse vending machines (RVMs) and over 350 manual collection return points nationwide.
As a circular-economy initiative, Ireland’s DRS aims to move away from the ‘take, make, dispose’ culture to one of returning valuable materials to keep them in circulation.
Through the DRS, aluminium cans can be recycled infinitely, while PET plastic bottles can be recycled multiple times, reducing the need for virgin materials.
In February, the first month of the scheme, two million containers were returned in the entire month.
Some 111 million containers were returned in the month of August, with the average number of daily returns reaching 3.6 million – nearly double February’s return amount each day.
These dramatic numbers show that public uptake of the scheme is playing a significant role in reducing landfill and litter across the country.
‘Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference’
Speaking about this milestone, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ossian Smyth, said, “The DRS has really made itself at home in Ireland.
“Already, it seems like we have been doing this forever.
“Families and communities have recognised that small changes can make a big difference.
“Our towns, villages and roadsides are much cleaner. Clubs and charities are benefitting, too, from new ways to fundraise.
“To reach our EU collection and recycling targets, we need to build on this great start, but I’m confident that we can get there by working together.
“Congratulations to Re-turn, all its members, and the Irish public on reaching our first half-billion in returns.”
The chief executive of Re-turn, Ciaran Foley, added, “Re-turn is incredibly proud of how the scheme has been embraced by the people of Ireland, and this significant milestone indicates how far it has come, in terms of participation from the public.
“It is performing beyond our expectations, and it has been particularly gratifying to see how it has taken off at a grass-roots level among community and charity organisations utilising the scheme for fundraising.
“We look forward to seeing the further positive effects the scheme will have over the coming months, in terms of litter prevention, community initiatives, and how it will contribute to a more sustainable Ireland.”
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