A proposed digital deposit return scheme has been described as “much more convenient” and could save millions of euro and a huge amount of carbon. 

Now just over one-year-old, the DRS was introduced to boost Ireland’s recycling rates - which need to improve significantly if the Government is to avoid EU fines. 

Irish Waste Management has estimated that a digital version of the scheme would have been €80 million cheaper and saved 20,000 tonnes of carbon. 

Significantly for consumers, it would have allowed them to continue to use their recycling bins at home. 

On Newstalk Breakfast spokesperson Conor Walsh said this would have been “much more convenient for the households”. 

“I suppose, everyone knows the way the DRS works now; you put in your can or your bottle, it spins it around, it finds the barcode and it knows what it is,” he said. 

“The way a digital scheme works is, you don’t use a barcode; you use unique identifiers in the form of QR code. 

“Every item would be individually identified, whereas a barcode doesn’t do that - it identifies a type of product.” 

A can and bottle deposit return recycling system in Norway. Picture by: Jonathan Sumpton / Alamy

Mr Walsh added this would allow people to recycle their cans or bottles in a much wider variety of places. 

“The QR codes can identify the individual can or bottle - and that’s very important in how a scheme would work,” he said. 

“So, you’d have a QR code on your recycling bin at home; there’d be QR codes on recycling bins in streets, airports, shopping centres and everywhere else. 

“The average container would have a unique identifier in the form of a QR code. 

“You’d have an app on your phone, you scan the bin and you scan one, two, three, four items - whatever you want to claim the deposit on - and you just put them in your bin.” 

A Deposit Return Scheme machine ready for use at a Supervalue supermarket in Dublin. Picture by: Jack Quann/Newstalk

Mr Walsh said he is “not arguing against the DRS” and believes a digital version would allow a greater number of products to be recycled.

“The DRS works for cylindrical objects,” he said. 

“But it won’t work for shampoo bottles, bleach bottles, washing up bottles - all sorts of bottles. 

“Pots, tubs, trays, yoghurts - there’s lots of stuff around the house - and you can’t put those in the reverse vending machines because they’re not cylindrical. 

“So, you have to do something different if you want to go around of trying to capture more of those materials.” 

Ireland is obligated by EU law to recycle 55% of municipal waste in 2025. 

In December, the EPA described Ireland’s municipal recycling rate as “stagnant” at 41%. 

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Main image: A worker demonstrates a Deposit Return Scheme Reverse Vending Machine in a Marks & Spencer supermarket in Dublin. Picture by: Stephanie Rohan/Newstalk