The pilot programme will see the roll-out of 80 bins around the city where other people are then free to take the donated bottles and claim the deposit.
The council said that the scheme is inspired by similar initiatives in the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.
Minister Ossian Smyth said: “I’ve seen these bin shelves in other countries and thought they are a great idea. If people don’t want to redeem the deposit themselves, they now have the option to allow others to benefit.”
Local Irish company Hartecast manufactured the branded ‘Bin Surrounds’ bins which feature a circular “shelf” for bottles and cans to be left on.
Lord mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan commented: “This innovative scheme is another step on the journey to a cleaner and safer city. We know that members of the public have been searching through public bins for bottles and cans to return. This is generating more litter on the street and it’s also an unsafe practice for the people involved.
“I’m confident this new scheme will go a long way towards solving those issues. It means that if you have an empty returnable bottle or can, instead of just binning it you can donate it to someone else by simply leaving it on the bin surround.”
CEO of Re-turn, Ciaran Foley, added: “Successfully capturing on-the-go drink containers and keeping them separate from general waste is critical to the progress of Deposit Return in Ireland. We want consumers to think before they bin these valuable resources. By leaving them for others, you’re ensuring they are returned, allowing someone else to benefit from the deposit refund.”
Recent surveys have indicated that that 50% fewer bottles and cans are in bins since the launch of the DRS. The scheme reached its 500 million returns milestone on 13 September 2024.
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