How Ireland learned to recycle plastic, in just eight months

In February, a plastic recycling system was introduced in Ireland which allowed 630 million containers to be collected.

In 2021, theIreland was the first European country for plastic production and consumption per capita.The country produced and used on average 71 kilos of plastic per person compared to a European value of 36 kilos per capita.More than two-thirds of plastic packaging was incinerated and only a small portion was recycled.Given the far from rosy situation, a citizen awareness campaign was launched which made it possible to collect 30 thousand signatures asking for measures to limit the use of plastic.The result?The company Re-turn, appointed by Irish government, introduced a return system for plastic bottles and cans in February that allowed 630 million containers to be collected in just eight months.This is the biggest change in Irish habits since the plastic bag tax came into force in 2001.

The bottle return system 

The recycling system is simple and it works.When you buy a plastic, aluminum or steel bottle or container with the Re-turn logo, you pay a very small additional amount compared to the real price of the product.The so-called security deposit.Amount that can be recovered simply by returning the container to the appropriate reverse vending machines, the plastic collection points aimed at consumers.The only condition is that the bottles are empty and in good condition.Thanks to this initiative, Irish citizens have chosen to recycle much more than before, also thanks to the economic benefit.The plan against plastic pollution is part of a broader Dublin program aimed at achieving acircular economy, against waste and in favor of the recovery and recycling of materials.

No more plastic around

The most obvious advantage of this initiative is the disappearance, or almost, of the plastic bottles that can be found on Irish streets.A study conducted by Coastwatch, a voluntary organization for monitoring European coastal environments, highlighted, as reported byIrish Times that, over the last few months, there has been a significant reduction in the number of plastic bottles even on the beaches.“I think this is fantastic news,” said the Irish minister of state Ossian Smyth.“The bottle return system has given people the opportunity to transform the environment in which we live.I think this is a measure that will inspire communities and businesses to demand more positive changes for the good of our precious environment."

The case of Germany

It is not the first time that such a project has been successfully introduced in a European country.In Germany there has been a plastic bottle recovery system for decades and it is the largest and best performing in the world.In recent years, the country has achieved a record return rate of plastic containers of 98 percent thanks to a large network of reverse vending machines spread throughout the territory and a high deposit value on bottles equal to 25 euro cents per each disposable container.“Ours is a high-performance system, unique in the world,” he explained Michael Lowe, CEO of Tomra, a Norwegian multinational active in the food industry that is responsible for the project.“From 2022 we have increased the quantity of containers eligible for recovery so as to reduce confusion for consumers, since previously bottles of some drinks were excluded from collection.There is no doubt that Germany will continue to be one of the world's leading recycling nations, and we look forward to continuing to play our part."

The Dublin bin project

Even though the program has only recently started in Ireland, incredible results have been achieved and the initiatives seem to be multiplying.The city of Dublin has recently modified 80 waste bins scattered around the city streets to make them suitable for storing plastic bottles by creating shelves where people can leave the bottles without mixing them with other materials inside the bins.In this way, anyone can take the containers placed next to the bins and take them to the vending machines to earn a small amount.In Ireland they have many ideas to stimulate recycling, we hope that the same will happen in Italy.