SuperValu and Centra enable over 6 million container returns in Tipperary during the first 12 months of Deposit Return Scheme

• A total of 210 million container returned nationwide, the equivalent of every citizen in Ireland to recycle 42 containers under the first 12 months of Deposit Return Scheme 

• Saturdays are the most popular day for customer recycling in SuperValu stores due to customers doing their ‘big shop’, while Centra customers recycle smaller numbers but more often

SuperValu and Centra are marking over six million container returns in Tipperary since the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme 12 months ago.

28 Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) have been installed in SuperValu and Centra stores in Tipperary – empowering communities across the county to conveniently make returns and move towards more sustainable shopping habits.

Speaking about the scheme, Luke Hanlon, Managing Director of SuperValu and Centra said: “We are pleased that as a community retailer with the largest offering of Reverse Vending Machines across every county in Ireland that SuperValu and Centra have enabled the equivalent of every citizen in Ireland being able to make a positive recycling impact. We are delighted to see such a high level of interaction from our customers in Tipperary with over six million containers returned in the last 12 months. This milestone is a testament to our customers who have made recycling containers a natural part of their grocery shopping routine – they see the benefits to them and the planet and have been supportive of the initiative.

“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.”

Journey of your 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 color, while any waste that enters the system is removed. 

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

According to SuperValu and Centra, consumer behavior 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. 

* This represents the quantity of containers returned or recycled through the Reverse Vending Machines relative to the total container sales since the DRS went live in SuperValu and Centra stores in February 2024. The figure was 60-70% pre introduction of the Scheme. 

Regional Breakdown of Containers returned to SuperValu and Centra stores: