Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

A national deposit return scheme, DRS, has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle bottles and cans and to ensure we meet our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those materials under EU single-use plastics and packaging legislation.

The Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations, SI 599 of 2021, makes it the responsibility of beverage producers to establish a deposit return scheme and to nominate an operator for approval by the Minister. Those regulations were updated by the Separate Collection (Deposit Return) Regulations 2024, which is SI 33 of this year.

Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG, trading as Re-Turn, was established by the Irish beverage industry as a new, not-for-profit company to fulfil its obligations under the DRS regulations. In July 2022, I approved an application from Re-Turn to establish and operate a DRS. This approval is valid for a period of ten calendar years from its commencement date. A review of the approval will take place by July 2025 and that approval will be reviewed every three years thereafter. Re-Turn is obliged to deliver to me an annual report on the scheme, with the first report due by mid-summer.

Under the terms of its approval, Re-Turn is required to operate to the highest standards of corporate governance and specifically in accordance with the code of corporate governance developed for extended producer responsibility schemes. This code is based on the underlying principles of accountability, transparency and probity. My Department is monitoring all operations by Re-Turn closely and I receive very regular updates.

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