Mayo SuperValu and Centra stores reach nearly three million DRS returns

SuperValu and Centra stores in Mayo have announced the return of almost 3 million eligible single-use containers through the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). 

Since the scheme's launch in February of this year, SuperValu and Centra stores nationwide have achieved a total of 125 million returned containers within its first eight months, becoming the first retailers in Ireland to reach this milestone. 

Twenty-Seven Reverse Vending Machines are currently installed across SuperValu and Centra stores in Mayo to ensure convenient returns across a range of locations for customers.

This achievement represents the largest number of returns in the country and highlights a significant shift in the nation’s recycling habits. It also reflects the retailers' commitment to sustainability, having revealed earlier this week that one Mayo Supervalu store has achieved 59 percent carbon reduction this year alone.

Public engagement has surged in recent months, with more than 91 million containers returned nationwide since June, resulting in a return rate of over 95 percent for that period. 

Upon launching the scheme earlier this year, SuperValu and Centra invested €28 million in Reverse Vending Machines across their store networks nationwide, and installed 686 Reverse Vending Machines in 549 stores across Ireland. This is the largest deployment by any retailer. 

Speaking about the scheme, Luke Hanlon, Managing Director of SuperValu and Centra, said they are ‘delighted’ to see such a ‘high level of interaction from our customers in Mayo’ with the initiative,

“This is a testament to our loyal customers embracing the scheme, which benefits not only them, but also the wider environment,” he added.

“I would also like to thank our retailers in Mayo for the effort and investment that has gone into rolling out the scheme. We and our retailers understand the important role we play in caring for the environment and ensuring that we make the implementation of the DRS scheme as easy and convenient as possible for our customers,” continued Mr Hanlon. 

He explained how customers are ‘increasingly sustainability focused’ making it ‘essential’ for community retailers to ‘empower more eco-friendly recycling habits’. 

“This demonstrates the positive benefits of our ‘Local Action Global Impact’ initiative, showing that small, community-based efforts can contribute to the broader fight against environmental challenges,” he concluded.