Dr Martina Devlin

I would have if I could.

But if you're sitting at a cafe sometimes... It's going to be picked up.

That's what you'd hope, absolutely.

But, you know, the fact is 15 cent doesn't sound much to us.

But if someone picks up 20 or 30 of those bottles and cans, you know, it can mount up.

And I live near Dun Laoghaire Pier and I have noticed young people, and I don't know why it is young people, maybe they're more entrepreneurial, walk up and down the pier with carrier bags now, lifting things.

the bottles and cans which are on the outside of, you know, the trays on the outside of these remodeled bins.

I don't know you could do much pinging there.

Well, I think it's a good thing in general.

The scheme has led to much more recycling.

More than two and a half billion cans and bottles have been returned for recycling.

Recycling since was rolled out in 2024 and schools and community groups and other organisations have also raised money for good causes through collections.

I suppose it's the law of unintended consequences is the issue.

that because they have this monetary worth, people often from the poorest tier of society, I'd point out, are collecting them.

And, you know, number one, at least they're being recycled rather than thrown in the bin.

But the issue I think that's being raised is rubbish being thrown around the streets.

You know, the random rummagers are going through bins for empties.

And they're tossing food waste and other litter about the street.

And Dublin City Council's Waste Management Division says bin raiding has led to almost 100 million expenditure in addition on double cleanups.

I mean, certainly there are questions as well over the tens of millions of euro in deposits that have gone unredeemed, as you say, because it's not convenient for people if they're, you know, in a situation where they don't have anywhere to return the bottle, perhaps when they're socialising.