Ireland enters DRS era in February

Ireland has joined several other European Union countries recently initiating a deposit-return system (DRS) for plastic and aluminum beverage containers.

Norway-based Tomra Collection, Slovakia-based Sensoneo j.s.a. and United Kingdom-based EcoVend by Reconomy are among technology providers who have helped equip Ireland for the launch of its DRS, which went live Feb. 1.

Romania and Hungary are other EU nations with recent DRS debuts, while, within Europe, Germany and Austria have expanded their systems and England is scheduled to debut its DRS next year. In Ireland, the DRS covers nondairy drinks in cans and PET bottles, ranging from 0.15 liters to 3 liters (5 ounces to 0.8 gallons) in size.

Sensoneo provided the Irish DRS with software it says enables seamless integration between all stakeholders within the process chain.

The provided software is built on cloud-based infrastructure and works with any reverse vending machine (RVM). Ireland becomes the sixth country using Sensoneo software in the application, with the technology firm saying it has won all the last six tenders for DRS in Europe, most recently in Austria.

But hiccups and confusion remain possibilities when national programs are introduced, according to Travis Way, managing director of EcoVend by Reconomy.

“Their main challenge will be ensuring there is enough awareness of how the scheme works to ensure that only containers with the Re-turn logo are returned, as containers purchased prior to the scheme going live should not be accepted," he says of program organizers in Ireland.

Along with Reconomy, Tomra is among the RVM vendors working in coordination with Sesoneo in Ireland. Tomra Collection established a regional office in Ireland in January 2023 and now has a staff of 28 people there.

Truls Haug, head of Tomra Collection United Kingdom & Ireland, calls DRS a "proven method" for boosting drink container collection that has achieved return rates of up to 98 percent in other countries.

Tomra Collection says in Ireland’s fellow EU nation of Latvia, that country’s DRS achieved 80 percent of eligible drink containers returned for recycling by its two-year anniversary.

According to Sensoneo, approximately 60 percent of single-use beverage packaging was being collected in Ireland for recycling purposes before its DRS started. With a DRS in place, Sensoneo says Ireland has the potential to increase its container recycling rates by another 30 percent.

“These schemes are proven to increase recycling rates significantly, and the direction of travel suggests we will see many more deposit-return systems introduced globally,” Way says.

“Deposit-return schemes will create substantial benefits in helping Ireland transition to a more circular economy. Alongside improving recycling rates, it should create a virtuous circle in encouraging innovation within the resource management and materials sectors alongside an evolution in consumers’ attitudes towards waste.”