John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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186. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the details regarding the unclaimed deposits of €66 million from the deposit return scheme (DRS,) to confirm if this money will be ringfenced; and the purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58732/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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.

On 25 July 2025, Re-turn published its 2024 annual report and a link to the report can be found here: re-turn.ie/re-turn-2024-annual-report/

In the report, Re-turn declared that €66.7m in unredeemed deposits were on hand in respect of 2024, before VAT at 23%. As has been seen with deposit return schemes internationally, the level of unredeemed deposits is expected to reduce significantly over time as familiarity with the scheme increases and the return rate improves.

In its Annual Report, Re-turn has outlined a range of measures regarding use of unredeemed deposits to ensure we reach our mandatory EU targets. These include:

• 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.

These proposals form part of an ongoing dialogue with the Minister regarding Re-turn operations and achievement of our mandatory recycling targets within the context of the Scheme Approval.