Whilst the introduction of Scotland’s deposit return scheme is now facing a two-year delay, retailers in Ireland are pushing ahead with trials in preparation for DRS commencing in February 2024.
Tesco Ireland has officially launched its DRS trials for PET plastic drinks bottles and aluminium/steel drinks cans at its Extra Store in Drogheda and Malahide Express outlet.
It is estimated that about 1.9 billion drinks bottles and cans are consumed each year in Ireland. The DRS aims to boost the recycling rate for these drinks containers by charging a small, refundable deposit for each plastic bottle or can. The Irish scheme will include PET plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans between 150ml and 3 litres. A deposit of 15c will apply to containers 500mls or less and a deposit of 25c for each container above 500ml.
