Deposit return initiative raises €90k for children's charities

With the deposit return scheme less than a week away from its first anniversary, Re-turn said over 900m plastic bottles and cans have been returned. File picture

Return for Children, the fundraising initiative by Re-turn which operates the deposit return scheme, has raised €90,000 to date.

The initiative, which was launched eight months ago, runs at large-scale events such as festivals, concerts, and matches where attendees are given the option of donating their cans and bottles for charity.

The partnership means that vital funds can be raised for charity while also reducing the amount of litter generated by these large events.

There are also two designated reverse vending machines at Cork Airport where passengers can deposit their containers to support Return for Children which were installed just ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Cork's Lord Mayor Dan Boyle at Cork Airport at the launch of its four new Re-turn reverse vending machines, two of which allow users to directly donate their deposit to six Irish charities. Picture: David Creedon

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Return for Children supports six children’s charities — Barnardos, Barretstown, Childline, Jack & Jill, LauraLynn, and Make-A-Wish Ireland.

The Return for Children scheme is not the only charity initiative to stem from the Deposit Return Scheme as over 2,000 community groups and businesses have also used returned containers to raise money for a variety of good causes.

Three hospital porters at Cork University Hospital (CUH) have raised €20,000 since April 2024 by collecting empty bottles and cans left behind on hospital grounds and designated drop-off points.

This month, thanks to the efforts of John Collins, John Lenihan, and John Keenan — dubbed the 3 Johnnies — the hospital was able to purchase a mobile high-flow oxygen therapy unit for babies and children suffering from respiratory issues.

'The 3 Johnnies' — CUH hospital porters John Collins, John Lenihan, and John Keenan —  have raised €20k-plus for CUH Charity by collecting used bottles and cans from the hospital campus and returning them to Re-turn. Picture: Brian Lougheed.

The CUH charity said it is proud of the three men as they “turn every bottle in CUH into funds for more and more vital equipment and services”.

According to the Department for the Environment, plans to allow people to donate money directly from a reverse vending machine are currently at trial stage.

Re-turn CEO Ciaran Foley said the money being raised from the scheme is “making a tangible and positive difference in communities nationwide”.

With the deposit return scheme less than a week away from its first anniversary, Re-turn said that over 900m plastic bottles and cans have been returned.

“The early impact is undeniable — recent research from IBAL shows almost a 50% reduction in plastic bottle and can litter on Irish streets already,” he said.

“This is an exciting milestone as we celebrate the first year since the deposit return scheme began its transition period. The achievement of nearly 1bn plastic bottles and cans returned is testament to the growing support of the Irish people.”