LAST UPDATE | 30 Apr
GREEN PARTY MINISTER of State Ossian Smyth has told the Oireachtas Climate Committee that the deposit return scheme for recycling plastic bottles and cans has been embraced by the public.
The scheme, which was introduced at the end of January this year, has seen more that 70 million containers returned and over 12 million euro worth of deposits paid out, Smyth told the Committee on Environment and Climate Action today.
A 15 cent charge – which is seen as a ‘deposit’ – has been added to aluminium and steel cans and plastic bottles up to 500ml, while a 25 cent deposit has been added to those that are 500ml and over.
The cans and bottles must then be returned empty and undamaged in order to reclaim this deposit.
The Committee hearing today is focusing of the progress made since the introduction of the Circular Economy Act in 2022, which aims to reduce waste across all levels of the economy and encourage recycling.
One of the most visible measures to come from the Act has been the container return scheme.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the public are also embracing the concept,” Smyth said at this morning’s meeting.
“Last Saturday was our most prolific day with 806,000 transactions returning over 2.3 million containers. This is part of a steady and significant increase over the past number of weeks and to date over 70.6 million empty containers have been returned by customers to a deposit value of €12.3 million.”
He told the Committee that the challenges associated with the scheme are being addressed.
“Re-turn is working very proactively on an improvement programme with retailers and RVM (Reverse Vending Machine) suppliers and RVM availability is getting better as a result,” he said.
Some criticism from groups representing people with disabilities has been levelled at the scheme, as the deposit slot on the RVMs is high off the ground and therefore difficult to reach for people using wheelchairs.
Smyth told the Committee that work is “ongoing” with the National Disability Authority to “ensure fit for purpose consultation with relevant parties”.
Also on the agenda today is food waste as well as levies on construction waste and landfill waste.
Smyth told the Committee that construction waste is the fastest growing waste stream, accounting for over half of the total waste currently being generated.
In September 2023, Smyth introduced a levy of €10 for every tonne of municipal waste recovered in Ireland or exported abroad for recovery. He also announced a corresponding increase in the existing landfill levy to €85 per tonne.
The Committee heard that the recovery levy does not currently apply to the recovery of construction and demolition material.
Smyth told the Committee that his Department is looking to remove the exemption for recovering landfill construction and demolition waste effective from 1 September.
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
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