Cans and bottles on streets down 50% since start of return scheme, but overall litter persists 

Under the Deposit Return Scheme anyone who buys a drink will pay a small deposit for the plastic bottle or can container. Customers get their money back when they return the container to a retailer or other collection point to be recycled. File Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

The number of cans and bottles littering streets has fallen by nearly 50% since the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, but the general problem of litter remains, new findings show.

People are continuing to show a “flagrant disregard for their surroundings”, the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) said.