Council launches communal bottle return scheme

Dublin City Council and Re-turn, operator of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme, has announced a new three-month ‘Give Take Return’ pilot programme which will see the roll-out of new surrounds on 80 bins where shoppers, commuters or tourists can donate empty bottles or cans while on the go.

Other people are then free to take the donated bottles and cans and bring them back, as part of the ‘Give Take Return’ concept.

The goal of the pilot programme is to prevent plastic bottles and cans from being discarded into general waste, and ultimately allow for better recycling while also reducing litter.

The pilot is inspired by similar initiatives in the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

In addition to the environmental benefits, recent surveys indicate that 50% less bottles and cans are in bins since the launch of deposit return and the new bin surrounds help further reduce the quantity being placed in bins by providing a safer and more convenient retrieval of drinks containers that carry deposits.

Launching the scheme, Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan said “this innovative scheme is another step on the journey to a cleaner and safer city.”

“We know that members of the public have been searching through public bins for bottles and cans to return. This is generating more litter on the street and it’s also an unsafe practice for the people involved.

“I’m confident this new scheme will go a long way towards solving those issues. It means that if you have an empty returnable bottle or can, instead of just binning it you can donate it to someone else by simply leaving it on the bin surround,” he said.

Minister Ossian Smyth said “I’ve seen these bin shelves in other countries and thought they are a great idea; if people don’t want to redeem the deposit themselves, they now have the option to allow others to benefit.”

“I look forward to hearing how it goes and I encourage other local authorities to follow suit with their own initiatives.”

CEO of Re-turn, Ciaran Foley, said “successfully capturing on-the-go drink containers and keeping them separate from general waste is critical to the progress of Deposit Return in Ireland.”

“We want consumers to think before they bin these valuable resources. By leaving them for others, you’re ensuring they are returned, allowing someone else to benefit from the deposit refund.”

“We’re excited to partner with Dublin City Council on this pilot project and look forward to its successful expansion nationwide,” he added.

The volume of drinks containers being returned has risen steadily since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme in February, with research from Irish Business Against Litter finding that there are 30% fewer cans and 20% fewer bottles littering the streets of Ireland.