Written answers
Tuesday, 20 February 2024
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Departmental Schemes
John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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130. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment what will happen to funds gathered under the new deposit return scheme that are not reclaimed by the purchaser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7433/24]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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A national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium/steel cans and to ensure we meet our ambitious EU targets under the Single Use Plastics Directive for the recycling of those containers.
The Directive sets a 90% recycling target by 2029, with an interim target of 77% by 2025. While I fully expect those targets will be achieved or exceeded, it is unlikely that every container for which a deposit has been paid will be returned by the purchaser. Deposits which are not refunded are referred to as unredeemed deposits.
As set out in the DRS Regulations, unredeemed deposits will be retained by Re-turn, the DRS operator, to be put back into the Scheme and used to fund the operations of the DRS.
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