Positive steps forward

Image: Capture taken from Re-turn video

Details of Ireland’s planned Deposit Return Scheme is welcome news this week.

As well and aluminium and steel cans, the scheme will include PET plastic bottles and covers containers between 150ml and 3 litres. The scheme employs a variable deposit; 15c will apply to containers 500ml or less, and a deposit of 25c will be required for each container above 500ml.

The variable deposit fee has been welcomed by the aluminium packaging sector in particular, with Alupro executive director Tom Giddings praising the Irish government on social media.

According to RTE, chairperson of Deposit Return Scheme Ireland, Tony Keohane, said that household green bins should no longer be used for recycling plastic bottles and cans once the scheme is introduced in February 2024.

In order for consumers to get their deposits back, they will have to return their containers to the appropriate recycling locations. “There will be a change needed by consumers, but again, we’re confident from the research we’ve done. We think consumers are up for this,” Keohane commented.

It’s great to hear such confidence from the scheme’s chair. I’ve said it before but the drive behind schemes like this is really on incentivising consumers, and what will get people willing to participate, willing to return their containers, is knowing that they hold value.

Read more about Ireland’s scheme here.

In other great news, Bell Publishing has announced the dates & location of next year’s Asia CanTech conference. We will be returning to Bangkok from 30 October – 1 November 2023. You can download the brochure here, and in the meantime please keep an eye out for future announcements on our social media and www.asia-can.com. To reserve your place, or if you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

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