Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Senator's third question was on the reverse vending machines. Typically, these will be located in or close to retail outlets, at sports clubs and in public spaces. There is generally a specification around covering them, ensuring that they are not going to create noise and that they are not a nuisance due to people depositing materials around, as happens at bottle banks. There is no doubt that they will have a positive impact in the context of preventing littering. Coupled with the introduction of the deposit return scheme next year, which is going to be brought in with the large retailers, we will see people, including community groups, actively collecting bottles and cans in order to get revenue. That is what happens in countries where deposit return schemes are in place. It can only have a positive impact. People who litter sometimes litter anyway. Much of the litter on our streets is made up of plastic bottles and cans. These are valuable items, and it is only right that we have a deposit return scheme. The reverse vending machines will offer people the opportunity to bring them back and get revenue from them.