Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount which has been retained as surplus from the deposit return scheme due to amounts not being reclaimed; what will ultimately become of these funds; whether his Department has considered repaying an amount greater than the amount originally paid as a deposit for a bottle or can, as a means of incentivising people to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40968/25]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount in unclaimed deposits from the re-turn scheme in its first 12 months of operation; and the way in which this fund was dispersed. [41825/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the engagement he has had with a company (details supplied); the value of unclaimed deposits; the level of unclaimed deposits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43249/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 166, 190 and 261 together.

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products.

Re-turn always encourages consumers to redeem their deposits, and it is important that the public is aware that Re-turn retains an open-ended liability to refund deposits to consumers, regardless of when or where the product was purchased.

Re-turn published its 2024 annual report on 25 July 2025 and a link to the report can be found here: . In the annual report, Re-turn outlines the income received from unredeemed deposits in 2024. Confirmed figures for 2025 are not yet available from the scheme however as the return rate improves, unredeemed deposits are reducing in parallel.

As with other DRS schemes, unredeemed deposits are retained by the operator (Re-turn) and are reinvested exclusively for the development of the Scheme. As a not-for-profit organisation, Re-turn will invest the funds in a range of measures to promote and improve collection rates including:

• Improving Reverse Vending Machine coverage and optimising convenience for consumers
• Enhancing accessibility to maximise the scheme for all users
• Introducing larger, bulk-fed machines enabling quicker, higher volume returns
• Communications and awareness, supporting the consumer’s understanding of DRS and the benefits of a separate collection for these materials
• Recycling infrastructure development