SuperValu & Centra mark 210m container returns in first year of Deposit Return Scheme

General manager Glenn Leacy and Susan Leahy at Collins' SuperValu Carrigaline (Pic Diane Cusack)

Under the Deposit Return Scheme, PET bottles can be recycled up to seven times and aluminum cans have no recycling limit

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31 January 2025

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SuperValu and Centra are marking 210 million container returns in more than 550 stores nationwide since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) 12 months agothis is equivalent to enabling every citizen in Ireland to recycle 42 containers.

703 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) have been installed in 560 SuperValu and Centra stores across the 26 counties in Ireland – empowering communities across Ireland to conveniently make returns and move towards more sustainable shopping habits.

Dublin, Cork, Meath, Galway and Kildare stores have received the largest volume of returns to Reverse Vending Machines across the SuperValu and Centra store network.

Circular economy 

“Over the course of the last 12 months, a remarkable 210 million containers have been returned via our RVM machines which has led to a reduction in litter locally and enabled Ireland’s transition to a circular economy,” said Luke Hanlon, managing director, SuperValu and Centra.

According to Hanlon, this milestone is a testament to SuperValu and Centra customers who have made recycling containers a natural part of their grocery shopping routine.

“I would also like to thank our network of dedicated retailers who through investment and innovation have enabled a broader shift to sustainability. This is in line with our ‘Local Action Global Impact’ initiative, showing that small, community-based efforts can contribute to the broader fight against environmental challenges,” noted Hanlon.

Journey of recycled containers

Under the Deposit Return Scheme PET bottles can be recycled up to seven times and aluminum cans have no recycling limit. 

The containers are collected from SuperValu and Centra stores at the end of each week and brought to a recycling facility in Limerick. They are then sorted by material and colour, while any waste that enters the system is removed.

SuperValu and Centra invested €28 million in RVM across their store networks nationwide, as part of their continued focus to build more sustainable communities.

According to SuperValu and Centra, consumer behaviour indicates strong adoption of the scheme with Saturdays being the busiest period for recycling in SuperValu stores due to customers doing their ‘big shop’, with consumers bringing higher volume of returns at once, averaging 23 containers per visit. 

Centra customers tend to recycle a smaller number of containers but make more regular trips to stores to return containers.

Read more: SuperValu and Centra reach 125m DRS returns since launch

 

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