Deposit return schemes

The Republic of Ireland's (ROI) Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) launched on 1 February 2024. Producers and manufacturers of drinks or those who sell them online have a role to play in the new scheme.

Under Irish DRS legislation, a producer is defined as any person, irrespective of the selling technique used, who is first to place in-scope products on the market in ROI.

The DRS process begins with the producer. For every in-scope drink the producer places on the market, they will pay an additional deposit fee.

This is recouped when the retailer buys in-scope drinks as they will pay the producer the product price plus the deposit fee, ensuring the deposit fee is cost-neutral for all involved.

All in-scope drinks containers will feature the scheme logo, ensuring that the container can be clearly identified by both consumers and retailers accepting empty containers over the counter.

What do Northern Ireland businesses need to do?

Northern Ireland producers who manufacture products for the ROI market should find out if and how you need to interact with the scheme.

You can find more information on the scheme, including registration requirements, technical and labelling specifications, producer fees, and various methods of contact on the Re-turn website.