A dispute has emerged between Ireland’s waste management industry and the operator of the country’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) over the quality of recycling achieved through household recycling bins compared with reverse vending machines.
The Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA), which represents waste management companies, has rejected claims that cans and plastic bottles placed in household recycling bins are recycled to a lower standard than those returned through the Deposit Return Scheme.
The disagreement follows comments made by Re-turn Chief Executive Ciaran Foley during an interview on RTÉ’s Today with David McCullagh, in which he said containers placed in mixed household recycling were often “downcycled” rather than being turned back into new bottles and cans.
Foley said the Deposit Return Scheme produces higher-quality recyclable material because containers are collected separately at source. According to him, achieving true bottle-to-bottle recycling requires recyclable material with around 95% purity, while the DRS can deliver approximately 98% quality.
He argued that many consumers may not realise the environmental benefits of returning containers through reverse vending machines instead of placing them in household recycling bins.
The IWMA has strongly disputed those claims, saying plastic bottles and aluminium cans are recycled in the same way regardless of how they are collected.
A spokesperson for the association said consumers should be reassured that bottles and cans placed in household recycling bins are properly recycled, with plastic bottles becoming new bottles and aluminium cans recycled into new cans.
The organisation said PET plastic collected through household recycling is initially baled with other recyclable plastics but later undergoes secondary sorting, allowing it to enter the same bottle-to-bottle recycling process used for materials collected through the Deposit Return Scheme.
The IWMA also stated that, in some cases, household-collected PET plastic and aluminium are processed at the same recycling facilities as materials gathered through the DRS.
Following Foley’s interview, the association said it contacted RTÉ seeking an opportunity to respond to what it described as inaccurate information.
Re-turn has maintained its position, arguing that collecting bottles and cans separately through the Deposit Return Scheme results in cleaner materials with lower contamination levels than mixed household recycling.
A spokesperson for Re-turn said separating containers at the point of collection is essential for maintaining high-quality recyclable material suitable for closed-loop recycling, where plastic bottles are turned into new bottles and aluminium cans are remanufactured into new cans.
The spokesperson added that mixed household recycling naturally exposes materials to greater contamination, reducing overall quality and limiting the amount of material that can remain within the circular economy.
Ireland introduced the Deposit Return Scheme to increase recycling rates by encouraging consumers to return eligible drinks containers in exchange for a refundable deposit. The programme forms part of the country’s broader strategy to reduce waste, improve recycling performance and meet European Union environmental targets.
The differing views from Re-turn and the waste management industry highlight an ongoing debate over the most effective methods for achieving high-quality recycling while maintaining convenience for households.
