ALDI are first Irish chain to bring in Re-turn saving cards as €30m claimed in year

Cork: ALDI is making waves with its new Re-turn saving cards. These cards let customers store cash-backs from recycling bottles and cans. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has become a big part of shopping in Ireland, especially in Munster.

In Cork, ALDI has 26 stores. Over the past year, shoppers returned more than 25 million items. They claimed €4.3 million through the DRS. It’s now common to see people bringing bags of empty bottles to the machines.

ALDI expects to hit 200 million returned items by February. The new savings cards will help customers keep track of their cash-backs. This way, they can avoid losing paper vouchers.

ALDI is also investing in the DRS scheme across its 163 stores in Ireland. The DRS card encourages more people to recycle. Customers can load their DRS vouchers onto the savings card for easy access.

The scheme has exceeded expectations. The original goal was to recycle 50% of items this year. ALDI reports a 140% return rate, showing strong customer engagement.

Irish shoppers are recycling more than the European average. While the EU sees 16-17 items returned per transaction, Irish customers return 20-25 items.

Jason Carolan, ALDI’s Plastic & Packaging Manager, noted the scheme’s popularity. Since its launch in February 2024, returns have steadily increased. ALDI aims to make the process even easier and faster.

The new DRS Savings Card helps customers build up their deposits over time. It’s user-friendly and allows shoppers to save money for special occasions. The scheme is boosting recycling rates in Ireland, which were previously low compared to Europe.