Since 1 February 2024 the Republic of Ireland has charged a refundable deposit on PET plastic bottles and aluminium or steel cans from 150ml to 3 litres: 15 cent up to 0.5 litres and 25 cent above.
In this guide
Householders and businesses in the Republic of Ireland pay a refundable deposit on most plastic bottles and cans of drink, which changes what belongs in the recycling bin. This guide summarises the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 33 of 2024) on the Irish Statute Book, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s announcement of 1 February 2024, and the operator Re-turn’s own published answers. It covers the Republic of Ireland only. The UK scheme is covered in the guide to the 2027 deposit return scheme. It is general information, not legal advice.
What is covered and what is not
The 2024 Regulations apply to beverage bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and beverage containers made from aluminium or steel, with a capacity between 0.150 and 3 litres, that were sold sealed with a deposit paid. They do not apply to plastic beverage bottles that are not made of PET, or to aluminium or steel containers not designed to hold a beverage. Glass is not in the scheme; Re-turn says Ireland already has a glass recycling rate above 80% and has no plans to include glass, though that may change.
The deposit and the launch
Schedule 1 to the Regulations sets the deposit at €0.15 for in-scope products of 0.5 litres or less and €0.25 for those above 0.5 litres. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment announced on 1 February 2024 that the scheme was starting that day, that the buyer of a drink in a plastic bottle or aluminium can with the Re-turn logo would pay the deposit in addition to the price, and that returning the empty, undamaged container to a participating outlet would give the deposit back in full. The Regulations require the deposit to be itemised as a separate line on receipts and invoices, and the refundable nature to be made clear in promotional material and at points of sale.
A transition period applied. Producers could place compliant products on the market from 1 January 2024 and non-compliant ones until 15 March 2024, and retailers could sell non-compliant products until 31 May 2024. Since 1 June 2024 only compliant products may be sold.
How to return containers
According to the Department, consumers get the deposit back at participating shops and supermarkets, either through a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) or manually over the counter. An RVM issues a voucher that can be redeemed at the till against purchases or as a cash refund, and Re-turn adds that the voucher must be redeemed in the store that issued it. The Department advises against crushing containers, and Re-turn says they should be empty and undamaged with a visible barcode and logo, but need not be cleaned.
What retailers must do
Regulation 14 requires a retailer selling in-scope products where a deposit applies to charge the deposit and itemise it, register with the approved body, display its registration certificate, make the take-back facility visible and easily accessible, take back every in-scope container returned by a consumer. The retailer must immediately reimburse the value of the original deposit to a consumer presenting a container for return, regardless of where it was bought. A retailer need not take back a container that is damaged, not empty, or lacking the marking showing a deposit was payable.
Regulation 17 exempts a retailer from charging a deposit on drinks bought for consumption on the premises. Subject to agreement with the approved body, a retailer may be exempt from the take-back obligations if its store is 250 square metres or smaller, if it is a hotel, restaurant or public house, or where the product was bought online or from a vending machine; in those cases the retailer must display the nearest return point.
Producers and enforcement
Producers, meaning whoever first places an in-scope product on the Irish market, must register with the approved body, report their products, pay fees and label products as prescribed. The Department says the scheme is operated by Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG, trading as Re-turn, appointed by the Minister in July 2022. Each local authority enforces the Regulations in its area, and contravening the producer, retailer, return point or distributor provisions is an offence carrying the penalties in section 10 of the Waste Management Act 1996.
The operator’s reported results
Re-turn states that 3 in 4 cans and bottles are now returned and that the recycling rate for in-scope containers has risen from 49% to over 90%. These figures are the operator’s own claims, and Re-turn describes itself as an industry-led, not-for-profit company licensed by the Minister to run the scheme. For household bins generally, see the guide to household bins in the Republic of Ireland.
FAQs
Can I return a can I bought in another shop?
Yes. The Regulations require a retailer to reimburse the deposit to a consumer presenting a container for return irrespective of where the product was purchased.
Why was my bottle refused?
A retailer need not take back a container that is damaged, not empty, or without the marking showing a deposit was payable, and Re-turn says the barcode and logo should be visible.
Are glass bottles included?
No. The Regulations cover PET bottles and aluminium or steel cans between 150ml and 3 litres, and Re-turn says there are no plans to include glass.
The bottom line
In the Republic of Ireland, PET plastic bottles and aluminium or steel cans from 150ml to 3 litres carry a refundable deposit of €0.15 up to 0.5 litres and €0.25 above, which has applied to compliant products on sale since 1 June 2024. Retailers must charge and itemise it and refund it for any in-scope container returned, with listed exemptions for small stores, on-premises consumption, online sales and vending machines. Glass is outside the scheme. Containers should be empty and undamaged with the logo and barcode visible. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 9 October 2026:
- Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024, S.I. No. 33 of 2024 (irishstatutebook.ie)
- Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme is live, 1 February 2024 (gov.ie)
- Re-turn, frequently asked questions (re-turn.ie)
Related guides
UK deposit return scheme from 2027
Household bins in Ireland
Checking a waste collector in Ireland
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