Since the Deposit Return Scheme went live on 1 February over 30m containers have been returned and over €5m has been refunded. Daily return rates are regularly exceeding 1m containers and are expected to continue to rise.
As consumers who have been charged a deposit can get the deposit back, regardless of when it was purchased, a reasonable period of time is required to measure return rates in a meaningful way. Re-turn retains an open-ended liability to refund the deposit.
The EU requires member states to ensure by 2027 that 77% of plastic bottles are separately collected for recycling, rising to 90% by 2029. For these purposes, Ireland’s performance will be measured over the course of a calendar year. Until a full 12 months of the scheme has been completed, return rates will be indicative only. It will take time for more meaningful metrics to emerge. For now, I am satisfied that the engagement rate compares favourably with similar schemes abroad at this stage of introduction.
The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is regulated by the DRS Regulations (SI No. 33 of 2024). In accordance with those Regulations, formal monitoring mechanisms of the scheme operator, Re-turn, are in place to ensure compliance with the terms of its approval to operate. My Department and Re-turn are monitoring all operations closely and I receive regular updates.
While I fully expect the Scheme to meet its target, it is unlikely that every container for which a deposit has been paid will be returned by the purchaser. Deposits which are not refunded are referred to as unredeemed deposits. Unredeemed deposits will be retained by Re-turn to fund the operations of the DRS and to promote circular economy initiatives.
