The Deposit Return Scheme means Ireland now has “the cleanest beaches for 25 years”, Re-turn has said. 

The scheme is now two years old and has seen 2.5 billion bottles and cans returned and recycled through it. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Re-turn CEO Ciaran Foley said the “vast majority” of the people are participating and the company are “delighted” with the public buy-in. 

“We actually had our highest ever week last week, so momentum is still there,” he said. 

“We had 33 million containers returned last week.

“But as well as that, we're seeing the impact on litter; there's been a reduction of over 50% of litter from these containers.

“Coast Watch tells us the cleanest beaches for 25 years. 

“We constantly get feedback from Tidy Towns about the lack of these containers being littered now.”

A Deposit Return Scheme machine ready for use at a Supervalue supermarket in Dublin. Picture by: Jack Quann/Newstalk.

Re-turn is a not for profit company; however, it has accumulated vast cash reserves as many millions of bottles and cans are never recycled using the scheme. 

There have been suggestions that the money be used on street cleaning, but Mr Foley explained that it “takes money to run the scheme”. 

“We think we will have available cash of about €30 million on current projection by the end of 2027,” he said. 

“Our ambition is to build a recycling plant on the island of Ireland because we currently export all of the material that we collect.

“We’re working with the Minister on that project.” 

Mr Foley noted that the price of plastic is “volatile” and the existence of the Deposit Return Scheme will “de-risk” any recycling plant in the long-term. 

“Right now, we needed to get to 60% redemption to make it economically viable for anybody to to build a plant on the island,” he said. 

“We're well past that now, so we're in the tender process. 

“The business case has gone to the Minister purely based on circularity.

“We're trying to do the right thing for the environment and for Ireland.”

Mian image: A split of a Deposit Return Scheme machine and a beach in Clare. Pictures by: Newstalk and Alamy.com.