It’s been 20 months since the Deposit Return Scheme was introduced. 

Hugely controversial among members of the public at the time, have people learned to accept it? Or perhaps even love it? 

The scheme has seen recycling rates surge, with Re-turn, the company who run the scheme, estimating that nearly 800 million more plastic containers are being recycled every year compared to before the Deposit Return Scheme's launch.

A Deposit Return Scheme machine ready for use at a Supervalue supermarket in Dublin, 1-1-23. Image: Jack Quann/Newstalk

Despite this, in order to meet EU targets and avoid large fines, Ireland still needs to significantly increase recycling rates among other products. 

When the Deposit Return Scheme was launched, experts from other countries urged the Government to include glass in the scheme. 

 “Nobody [in Denmark] would dream of taking glass out of the scheme,” Lars Krejberg Petersen from Dansk Retursystem told the Irish Times before the scheme’s launch. 

“Glass is not a big source of income ... but there’s still a huge environmental uplift with including it.”

So, is the inclusion of glass in the Deposit Return Scheme on the horizon any time soon?

Re-turn CEO Ciaran Foley said the Deposit Return Scheme is not looking at including any other products “yet”. 

“Obviously, the success of the scheme has meant there are a lot of those conversations happening and talking to Government,” he told Josh Crosbie for The Pat Kenny Show. 

“The whole model is working well and we have a team of people here now who are obviously getting used to what we do. 

“So, for now, we’re focused on that.”

Main image: Split of glass bottles and the DRS. Pictures by: Alamy and Newstalk.