The Government’s deposit return scheme has seen a huge upswing with the recycling rate of cans and plastic containers doubling since June. Since the endeavour was initiated, a significant 400 million items have been successfully returned. Figures released by the scheme’s operator, Re-turn, indicate that on August 12, a whopping 3.97 million containers were returned, marking the highest one-day turn in since the project’s instigation in February.
This summer, Re-turn has added a new project, ‘Return for Children’, the funds from which are allocated among six renowned national children’s charities: Childline by ISPCC, Barnardos, Barretstown, Jack and Jill foundation, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, and Make-A-Wish Ireland. The new initiative invites those who attend participating events to donate their deposits from bottles and cans at specifically marked Re-turn bins which directly benefit the six related charities.
Ciaran Foley, Re-turn Chief Executive, displayed immense satisfaction in the public’s backing and steady rise in the quantity of drinks containers collected in the scheme’s preliminary six months. He further commented, “By coordinating with prominent events such as Electric Picnic, we provide attendees an effortless method of depositing their drinks containers and the choice to dedicate their deposits to commendable charities. Current research findings show a clear drop in street litter across Ireland, which is an immediate advantageous effect of the scheme. We are extremely enthusiastic about the scheme’s future expansion.”
So far this month, an impressive 54 million containers have gone back into the scheme following 102 million in July, which holds the record as the most active single month for the scheme, as reported by Re-turn.