Many people are still not using the Deposit Return scheme because ‘15c just doesn't seem to cut the mustard’, Ciara Kelly has said.

New figures show that Irish people have left millions of euro on the table in unclaimed deposits since the scheme was launched.

The Irish Independent reports that just €1.2 million in deposits was returned to customers in the first 40 days of the scheme – a fraction of the amount the scheme is believed to have taken in over that time.

Around five million bottles and cans are sold in Ireland every day and the minister in charge of the scheme, Ossian Smyth has previously said around €1m in deposits should be collected every day.

Re-Turn, the company running the scheme, has said it expects the new arrangements to take time to bed in – with many shoppers building up a collection of empties before returning them.

A deposit Return Point for Cans and Bottles outside a Lidl in Dublin, 01-02-2024. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

On Newstalk Breakfast, host Ciara Kelly said she is one of the many people who has not been collecting her deposits.

“I haven't brought back one – and I do drink sometimes a Diet Coke or sometimes a Club Orange or whatever,” she said.

“I am still recycling mine because they all go into my green bin at home, but I'm not getting any money back from it.

“I don't know what would have to change - because I thought about this - to make me bring them back because 15c just doesn't seem to cut the mustard.

“Like, I'd have to bring back six bottles to get a euro and, I don't want to be just a naysayer about it because I know a lot of people do dislike this scheme for whatever reason, but when I read [those figures] this morning, I went, ‘I'm one of those people; I haven't brought back a single one.’”

Newstalk Breakfast presenter Shane Coleman in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk

Fellow presenter Shane Coleman said he picks up his deposits every few days.

“I have like a shopping bag of them where there might be 10 in there - or whatever, six to ten - and when I'm going down to the supermarket, which I do, you know, every second day, I would pop them in and get the little voucher,” he said.

'Teething problems'

He said there are obviously “teething problems” with the scheme – but that does not mean it will not ultimately be successful.

“I don't think it's a problem if you don't take it back,” he told Ciara.

“Once you are putting them in your green bin, you're not really the target.

“The target is the people who weren't putting the plastic bottles into the recycling – and we know there was a huge, huge percentage of plastic bottles and cans that were not being recycled and were just being dumped and littered.

“I've said this before, so you know where I stand on this, I just think there's a huge amount of, ‘We can’t do this’ doing the rounds.

“It's like when you try and implement change in the public service the attitude is always, ‘Well we can't do that; we're not doing that.’”

'Why is it always a big deal in Ireland?'

He noted that “every country in Europe does this” without it becoming a big deal.

“Why is it always a big deal in Ireland?” he asked.

Ciara agreed that there is a broader issue with change being hard to implement in Ireland – but questioned whether there is a simpler issue with the scheme.

“Is it that the 15c isn't enough money to make you arsed to do anything?” she asked.

“But then imagine you put a euro on each one – there would be a riot.

“It hasn't changed my habit, that's all I'm saying but I genuinely mean this, I still recycle. I’m just spending a lot of money on drinks.

“I'm just disorganised as you well bloody know. That’s the real reason, I'm incredibly disorganised and the idea of adding another layer …

“I can't even bring bags to the shop practically.”

Neither shops nor Re-Turn are allowed to keep unclaimed deposits – with the unclaimed cash due to be used for new recycling initiatives.