# For an Irish drinks brand, Re-turn’s per-container fees now outweigh the Repak bill on everything else many times over

> Since 1 February 2024, PET bottles and aluminium or steel cans of 150 ml to 3 litres that carry the Re-turn deposit pay no Repak fee at any stage of the chain, and instead pay Re-turn EUR 0.02 per PET bottle or EUR 0.0125 per can, while glass, cartons, other plastics, out-of-scope sizes and all secondary and transit packaging stay on Repak's 2026 rates of EUR 5.14 to EUR 616.22 per tonne for the brand holder.

Publisher: Strategic Packaging Insights  
Published: 2026-10-26  
Last updated: 2026-10-26  
Page: https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/insights/ireland-repak-fees-return-deposit-scheme/

**Since 1 February 2024, PET bottles and aluminium or steel cans of 150 ml to 3 litres that carry the Re-turn deposit pay no Repak fee at any stage of the chain, and instead pay Re-turn EUR 0.02 per PET bottle or EUR 0.0125 per can, while glass, cartons, other plastics, out-of-scope sizes and all secondary and transit packaging stay on Repak's 2026 rates of EUR 5.14 to EUR 616.22 per tonne for the brand holder.**

Strategic Packaging Insights (SPI) priced one hypothetical Irish drinks portfolio through both tables in euros. The 201 tonnes of deposit containers cost EUR 175,500 in Re-turn fees and registration, against EUR 8,355.86 in Repak fees on the other 180 tonnes, so the Repak bill is 4.5% of the brand's combined producer charge before any deposit is counted.

## Executive summary

Ireland runs two producer schemes side by side, and a drinks brand belongs to both. Repak, the approved packaging compliance scheme, charges by tonne under the European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014, S.I. No. 282 of 2014. Re-turn, the trading name of Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG, charges by container under the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024, S.I. No. 33 of 2024, which revoked the 2021 Regulations on 31 January 2024.

The boundary between them is precise. Repak's statistical returns guidance says it does not charge members for in-scope deposit material at any stage, and that caps, lids and labels on those containers are left out of Repak reporting (Repak QF 509). Everything else a drinks brand places on the market stays with Repak: glass bottles, cartons, HDPE and other non-PET bottles, PET bottles and cans outside the 150 ml to 3 litre range, dairy drinks, and every case, tray, shrink film and pallet wrap.

The two tables price very differently. Repak's 2026 brand holder rates run from EUR 5.14 per tonne for recycled aluminium to EUR 616.22 for non-recycled plastic and composites, with EUR 4.00 per tonne more paid by the manufacturer, converter and retailer stages. Re-turn charges EUR 0.02 per PET bottle and EUR 0.0125 per can. At typical weights that is EUR 571 to EUR 962 per tonne (Exhibit 1), several times Repak's lines for the same materials, though it also pays for return points and handling.

The schemes are also moving. Repak's 2026 rates rose 16.7% on recycled plastic, 38.1% on non-recycled plastic, 45.8% on paper and 158.3% on glass. Repak has published a 2027 regular membership rates sheet whose rates SPI has not yet confirmed. Re-turn reports a 76.4% return rate for 2025 against the 77% target for that year, and the 90% target for 2029 is the next test.

For leaders, the moves are practical. Split every SKU into deposit and non-deposit lines in both reporting systems; budget Re-turn fees per unit and Repak fees per tonne, never one average; check that glass and secondary packaging, now the whole Repak bill for many drinks brands, are reported on the right lines; and note that the self-compliance route closed on 1 January 2023.

## Key findings

1. In-scope deposit containers pay no Repak fee at any stage of shared responsibility from 1 February 2024, and their caps, lids and labels are excluded from Repak reporting, but the containers must still be reported in Repak's deposit material fields (Repak QF 509).
2. Repak's 2026 brand holder rates run from EUR 5.14 per tonne (recycled aluminium, non-DRS) to EUR 616.22 (non-recycled plastic and non-recycled composite), plus EUR 1.00 each for the material manufacturer and converter and EUR 2.00 for the retailer (Repak 2026 fees sheet).
3. Re-turn charges producers EUR 0.02 per PET bottle and EUR 0.0125 per aluminium or steel can, whatever the size, with no product registration fee below 1.5 million units a year and EUR 100 per product registered above it (Re-turn 2025 Annual Report).
4. **SPI calculation:**  for a portfolio of 11 million deposit containers and 180 tonnes of other packaging, Re-turn fees and registration come to EUR 175,500 and the Repak brand holder bill to EUR 8,355.86; the same deposit containers on Repak's 2026 non-DRS lines would have cost EUR 20,782.02.
5. Re-turn returned 1,434,857,656 containers in 2025, a 76.4% return rate against 66% for June to December 2024, and booked EUR 60.1 million of net unredeemed deposits (Re-turn 2025 Annual Report).
6. Self-compliance with a local authority has not been open to major producers since 1 January 2023: S.I. No. 659 of 2022 requires every major producer to be a member of an approved body (regulation 10(5)).
7. Repak members paid EUR 47.93 million in fees before a EUR 1.51 million rebate in 2025 on 735,805 tonnes placed on the market, and Repak recorded 1,391 fewer tonnes of aluminium recycled, which it attributes to the deposit scheme (Repak Annual Report 2025).

## Where Repak stops and Re-turn starts

The legal line is drawn by container, not by brand. Regulation 3 of S.I. 33/2024 covers PET beverage bottles and aluminium or steel beverage containers from 0.150 to 3 litres, with their component parts, where the deposit has been paid. It excludes plastic beverage bottles not made of PET and metal containers not designed to hold a beverage. Repak's guidance adds that dairy drinks such as milk and yogurt drinks are not in the deposit scheme (Repak QF 509).

Repak's guidance applies the same line to its own fees. From 1 February 2024, in-scope deposit material carries no Repak charge "for any stages of shared responsibility", so the manufacturer, converter, brand holder and retailer shares all fall away together. The containers still appear on the Repak return, in the deposit material type fields, and caps, lids and labels on them are excluded from reporting (Repak QF 509). PET bottles and cans that are not in scope remain reportable and pay a fee.

The statute adds a deeming rule. Regulation 13(7) of S.I. 33/2024 treats a producer that is a member of an approved deposit body as having met specified duties under the Single Use Plastics (No. 2) Regulations 2021 and under Regulations 5 to 16 of S.I. 282/2014 for its in-scope products. Since S.I. 659/2022 revoked Regulations 12 to 16, the deeming now bites on Regulations 5 to 11 of the packaging rules for those products. SPI analysis of the official text, not legal advice; check with counsel where it applies.

SPI analysis

The line is drawn on the container and its deposit, so the same brand can pay Re-turn for a 500 ml PET cola and Repak for a 5 litre PET water bottle made of the same polymer. Packaging and finance teams need a SKU-level flag that says which scheme each pack element belongs to, because one product line can sit in both.

## Repak's 2026 fee table, line by line

Repak sets one per-tonne rate for each material line and splits it across the supply chain under its shared responsibility model. In 2026 the material manufacturer and the converter each pay EUR 1.00 per tonne, the retailer EUR 2.00, and the brand holder or importer the variable share (Exhibit 3). The fee sheet's table header reads H1/H2 2026, while its introductory text still refers to H1 2024 and H2 2024, a drafting slip in the sheet itself.

Eco-modulation in Ireland works through one switch: whether a material is recycled in Ireland. A plastic or composite pack that is not recycled pays EUR 616.22 per tonne, 3.72 times the recycled rate of EUR 165.70, and 14.8 times the paper rate. The polymer, colour and format do not set separate lines, unlike the Belgian or Spanish tables in the [EPR fees per tonne piece](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/insights/epr-fees-per-tonne-2026/). Repak's annual report says eco-modulated fees have applied to all reported packaging materials since January 2023, and that its net necessary cost model, introduced for plastics and composites in 2020, now covers every material (Repak Annual Report 2025).

The 2025 sheet shows how the deposit scheme sits in the table. It carries three rows for deposit material (in-scope aluminium cans, in-scope steel cans and in-scope PET bottles, each 150 ml to 3 litres) with no fee entered, beside the non-DRS lines for the same materials (Repak Regular fees 2025). The 2026 sheet keeps the non-DRS lines and drops the empty deposit rows.

Repak invoices twice a year, in January and July, each payable within 30 days, and bases each invoice on the same half of the previous year: H1 2026 fees rest on H1 2025 tonnages. Statistics for January to June are due by 21 August, and for July to December by 21 February of the following year. Members that file on time, pay within 30 days and register bank details on the portal qualify for a rebate, paid by SEPA transfer each half year depending on Repak's financial performance (Repak QF 509).

SPI analysis

Because invoices lag tonnage by a year, a drinks brand that moved a line into Re-turn, or redesigned a carton, sees the Repak effect a year later. The 2027 rates will be applied to 2026 tonnages, so the 2026 packaging mix is already fixing next year's bill.

## Who must join, and the routes that remain

The obligation sits with the major producer. Regulation 4(3)(a) of S.I. 282/2014 makes a producer a major producer if the packaging it supplies "exceeds or may be expected to exceed 10 tonnes in a calendar year, and" its annual turnover is more than EUR 1 million. Both tests must be met. The 2014 Regulations revoked the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 798 of 2007) from 21 June 2014 (regulation 36), so the 2007 title now has historical value only.

The self-compliance route is closed. The 2014 text let a major producer register with its local authority, pay EUR 15 per tonne (minimum EUR 500, maximum EUR 15,000 per premises), take back packaging waste and file quarterly reports. The Department consulted from 16 September to 28 October 2022 on removing that option, and S.I. No. 659 of 2022, made on 14 December 2022, inserted regulation 10(5), requiring every major producer to be a member of an approved body from 1 January 2023. It revoked Regulations 12 to 16 and Schedule 3, and narrowed the approved-body exemption in regulation 17(1) to regulations 10, 11 and 25. The Department's release said Repak would provide switcher assistance to former self-compliers (gov.ie, 19 December 2022).

Below the thresholds there is no membership duty, but the general duties stay. Every producer must handle packaging waste arising on its premises under regulation 5, passing specified materials to a matching producer or segregating them for recovery, keep records for reusable packaging and supply weight data on request (S.I. 282/2014, regulations 5 to 8). For the PPWR, which applies from 12 August 2026, S.I. No. 541 of 2025, made on 6 November 2025, designates the EPA, the Minister and local authorities as competent authorities for different articles of Regulation (EU) 2025/40.

Scheduled membership matters to the drinks trade because pubs, restaurants and off licences pay it. The 2026 schedule charges EUR 402 a year, excluding VAT, for most sectors placing 10 to 25 tonnes, and EUR 986 for those over 25 tonnes. Off licences, all in the over 25 tonne class, pay by 16 turnover bands from EUR 986 to EUR 3,451 (Exhibit 6).

## Re-turn's fees, deposits and registration

Re-turn finances itself from four sources set in Regulation 4 of S.I. 33/2024: registration and producer fees, unredeemed deposits, revenue from returned material and other income, and its fees must cover only its costs of operation. Producers join before placing in-scope drinks on the market, register each product with barcode, dimensions, weight and material data, report placed-on-market volumes monthly, and pay Re-turn the deposit and the producer fee (Re-turn producer page, modified 20 October 2026).

The deposit is 15 cent for containers up to and including 500 ml and 25 cent for those over 500 ml up to 3 litres (Re-turn producer page). The government's launch release of 1 February 2024 gave the bands as 150 ml to 500 ml and 500 ml to 3 litres. S.I. No. 555 of 2024, made on 22 October 2024, replaced the deposit schedule, and Regulation 18(3) lets the Minister change the amounts once per financial year after consulting the approved body.

Two points are open. Re-turn's 2023 fee document said fees would be reviewed annually from Q1 2025 and that litter clean-up costs would be factored in later. Re-turn's 2025 report says the retailer handling fee review took place in 2025 and its outcome will be communicated in 2026. SPI has not yet confirmed any Re-turn producer fee table for 2026 that differs from the 2025 figures.

SPI analysis

The international barcode surcharge is the Re-turn charge most likely to surprise an importer. A brand placing 11 million containers on non-Irish barcodes would pay EUR 343,200 a year in surcharge at EUR 0.0312, almost double the EUR 175,000 of material fees in the worked example below. An Irish or dedicated barcode removes it, at the cost of a separate SKU.

## What the two schemes report

Re-turn's second full year shows the scheme near its first target. It returned 1,434,857,656 containers in 2025, 749,128,937 cans and 685,728,719 plastic bottles, for 30,917 tonnes of material, and reports an overall return rate of 76.4%, against 66% for June to December 2024 (Re-turn 2025 Annual Report). Its 5 March 2026 release puts returns since launch at 2.5 billion and says about 76% of containers are captured through the deposit scheme and the rest through mixed dry recycling, giving an estimated overall recycling rate above 90%.

At the end of 2025 Re-turn had 301 registered producers, 9,607 active barcodes, 7,381 registered retailers and 2,624 return locations with 2,815 reverse vending machines and 555 manual return points. **SPI calculation:**  EUR 31.5 million of handling fees over 1,434,857,656 containers returned is EUR 0.022 per container, in line with the published EUR 0.022 machine and EUR 0.026 manual rates.

Repak's 2025 report shows the other side. Members placed 735,805 tonnes on the market, Repak recycled 847,412 tonnes and recovered 371,370 more, and members met 115% of their recycling targets. Members recycled 75% of their plastic placed on the market (98,769 of 131,457 tonnes). Aluminium recycled fell by 1,391 tonnes and PET bottles by about 2,300 tonnes, falls Repak links to the deposit scheme. **SPI calculation:**  EUR 47,929,908 of fee income on 735,805 tonnes is EUR 65.14 per tonne gross, a scale check rather than a rate, since 59% of members pay scheduled fees.

In practice: Repak.

Repak reports 3,521 regular and scheduled members at the end of 2025, a fee rebate of EUR 1,507,473 and EUR 14.68 million returned through rebates since it began. It earned EUR 1,452,800 of other revenue, mainly from services to Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG under a service level agreement, and its single-use plastics litter contribution rose from EUR 1,132,426 to EUR 1,858,582, which it partly links to the lower share of PET bottles in litter since the deposit began (Repak Annual Report 2025). Repak will withdraw from Green Dot licensing at the end of 2026, and the symbol may not be printed on packaging from February 2027.

In practice: Re-turn.

Re-turn's report records EUR 64.4 million of producer fees and material sales and EUR 60.1 million of net unredeemed deposits in 2025, with a balance sheet provision of about EUR 38.7 million for deposits still to be redeemed. Its Return for Children campaign had raised over EUR 780,000 by October 2026 (Re-turn producer page). **SPI analysis:**  the unredeemed deposit line shrinks as return rates climb toward 90%, so producer fees, not unclaimed deposits, will have to carry more of the cost; SPI has not seen a Re-turn forecast of that shift.

## Four kinds of drinks pack in Ireland

SPI groups a drinks brand's packaging into four archetypes by which scheme charges it and what moves the charge (Exhibit 9). The device is drawn from the two fee tables and S.I. 33/2024, and it tells a packaging team where each design or sourcing decision lands.

**Archetype A**  rewards fewer, larger units. A 1.5 litre PET bottle pays the same EUR 0.02 as a 500 ml one, so at SPI's assumed weights its fee per tonne is EUR 571.43 against EUR 909.09. Lightweighting a can saves nothing in Re-turn fees, because the fee is per container.

**Archetype B**  rewards recyclability and weight. A carton recycled in Ireland pays EUR 165.70 per tonne; one that is not pays EUR 616.22. Glass rose 158.3% for 2026, but at EUR 19.14 per tonne a 190 g bottle still costs the brand holder about EUR 0.0036.

**Archetype C**  is the easiest to miss. A brand that adds a 5 litre PET water or a 100 ml shot falls back into Repak, on the non-DRS lines, and must report it there. A dairy drink in a PET bottle is in the same position, because Repak's guidance places dairy drinks outside the deposit scheme.

**Archetype D**  is often the largest Repak line for a drinks brand once the containers have left. Corrugated cases at EUR 41.60 per tonne and recyclable shrink film at EUR 165.70 are low rates, but a non-recyclable multipack film would pay EUR 616.22.

## Worked example: one drinks brand, two schemes

SPI priced a hypothetical Irish soft drinks brand holder that places 11 million deposit containers and 180 tonnes of other packaging a year (Exhibit 10). Unit counts and weights are SPI assumptions for illustration, not industry averages; rates are the published 2026 Repak brand holder rates and the Re-turn 2025 table. Everything is in euros, excluding VAT.

**SPI calculation:**  Re-turn fees are 6,000,000 x 0.0125 + 4,000,000 x 0.02 + 1,000,000 x 0.02 + 5 x 100 = EUR 175,500. The Repak bill is 95 x 19.14 + 9 x 165.70 + 60 x 41.60 + 15 x 165.70 + 1 x 64.76 = EUR 8,355.86. Combined, EUR 183,855.86 on 381 tonnes, of which Repak is 4.5%.

The deposit sits on top, as cash rather than cost. The brand pays Re-turn 6,000,000 x 0.15 + 4,000,000 x 0.15 + 1,000,000 x 0.25 = EUR 1,750,000 in deposits and recovers the same amount from its customers through the itemised deposit line on invoices that Regulations 13 and 14 require. The cost is the timing gap between paying Re-turn and collecting from the trade, which the [deposit return piece](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/insights/deposit-return-europe-uk/) sets out for Ireland and its neighbours.

SPI analysis

The gap of 8.4 times is not a like-for-like price. Re-turn's fee pays for a separate collection network with EUR 0.022 to EUR 0.026 per container for retailers, while Repak's rates sit on household and commercial collection that councils and waste firms already run. The gap does show where a drinks brand's packaging money in Ireland now goes, and that a Repak saving on glass or film will rarely offset a rise in container units.

## Scenarios: how the bill moves

SPI ran two sensitivities, one on each table, in euros only (Exhibit 12). The Repak sensitivity uses Repak's own 2025 and 2026 rates on the example's 180 tonnes: low is the 2025 table, base is 2026, and the stress case repeats each line's 2025 to 2026 step once more, an SPI assumption and not a forecast. The Re-turn sensitivity changes container weight, which moves the per-tonne equivalent but not the bill.

Glass drives the Repak stress case. At a repeated step glass would be EUR 49.44 per tonne, and the 95 tonnes of bottles would cost EUR 4,696.80 instead of EUR 1,818.30. For a brand whose Repak bill is mostly glass, Repak's 2027 glass line is the number to find first in the new sheet.

On the Re-turn side, unit count is the only volume lever. Each extra million cans adds EUR 12,500 and each extra million PET bottles EUR 20,000, and crossing 1.5 million units a year brings in the EUR 100 per product registration charge. Switching a 330 ml line from PET to cans saves EUR 0.0075 per unit at the 2025 rates, or EUR 7,500 per million.

## Industry reaction

> "A 10-year approval will provide the stability and certainty necessary for long-term planning and investment"

***Alan Dillon, Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment** , [Repak licence announcement](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/press-releases/minister-dillon-approves-10-year-licence-for-repak/), 16 January 2026*

The same release says Repak's approval aligns with the PPWR changes from August 2026, requires Repak to meet its members' share of EU recycling and recovery targets, and keeps higher fees for materials that are harder to recycle.

> "Repak will not charge members for any “In-Scope” DRS material for any stages of shared responsibility"
>
>
>
> **Repak** , approved packaging compliance scheme, [QF 509 Statistical Returns Training](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/QF%20509%20-%20Repak%20Statistical%20Returns%20Training.pdf), version 2
>
>
>
> "The scheme has achieved an overall return rate of 76.4% of in-scope containers"

***Re-turn** , Chair's statement, [2025 Annual Report](https://media.re-turn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025-Annual-Report.pdf), year ended 31 December 2025*

The Chair's statement describes that rate as closely matching the 77% target for 2025. The 2029 target is 90%, so the scheme has about 14 points to gain in four years.

## The calendar both schemes run on

The two schemes report on different clocks. Re-turn takes placed-on-market volumes every month under the producer membership agreement, while Repak takes statistics twice a year and invoices a year in arrears (Re-turn producer page; Repak QF 509). The dates that matter to a drinks brand over the next three years are set out in Exhibit 13, and most of the near ones belong to Repak.

SPI analysis

Repak's licence to 2035 and Re-turn's approval under S.I. 33/2024 make the architecture stable for the rest of the decade, so the moving parts are the rates. A drinks brand should expect its Repak lines to change every January and its Re-turn fees to follow the annual review that Re-turn's 2023 fee note promised, and should read both tables each autumn before budgets close.

The approval itself frames how Repak may set fees. The Department's January 2026 release says the licence keeps fee modulation, with higher fees for materials that are harder to recycle, and requires an annual performance report to the Minister. Read with the deposit Regulations' rule that Re-turn's fees may cover only its operating costs, both schemes are cost recovery bodies, and a rise in either table usually reflects a rise in collection, sorting or handling cost rather than a margin.

## The gaps in this view

**Repak 2027.**  Repak publishes a 2027 Regular Membership Rates sheet (QF 628) on its membership page, but SPI has not yet confirmed its rates, so no 2027 Repak figure is used here.

**Re-turn 2026.**  Re-turn's producer page, updated on 20 October 2026, still points to the fee update of 29 September 2023, whose small-producer flat fees of EUR 500 and EUR 1,000 do not appear in the 2025 annual report table. SPI uses the 2025 report and has not yet confirmed a 2026 table.

**Re-turn rates by material.**  Re-turn reports one return rate across all in-scope containers. SPI has not yet confirmed separate PET and metal return rates, which the PET bottle target will need.

**Scope of the example.**  The portfolio, weights and SKU count are SPI assumptions. Repak's chain shares, VAT, back fees for late joiners and Re-turn's barcode surcharge are left out unless stated.

## What leaders should do now

1. **Packaging and compliance leads, before the next Repak return on 21 February 2027:**  tag every SKU and pack element as deposit, non-DRS or secondary, and check that deposit containers sit in Repak's deposit fields with caps and labels left out.
2. **Finance teams, in the 2027 budget round:**  budget Re-turn per unit and Repak per tonne as separate lines, and model deposit cash flow at EUR 0.15 and EUR 0.25 by pack size.
3. **Procurement, by 31 December 2026:**  obtain Repak's 2027 regular membership rates in full and reprice glass, board and film lines, since the 2027 invoices rest on 2026 tonnages.
4. **Importers and brand owners on foreign barcodes, before the next SKU launch:**  cost the Re-turn international barcode surcharge of EUR 0.0135 or EUR 0.0312 per container against the cost of an Irish barcode.
5. **Packaging development teams, before 2027 briefs are frozen:**  move any non-recyclable carton, film or multipack wrap toward a format recycled in Ireland, where the Repak rate falls from EUR 616.22 to EUR 165.70.
6. **Artwork owners, before February 2027:**  plan to remove the Green Dot from Irish packaging as Repak withdraws from Green Dot licensing at the end of 2026.
7. **Boards of former self-compliers, now:**  confirm that the business has been a Repak member since 1 January 2023, and check back-fee exposure with Repak and counsel if not.

## Questions for your board

- How much did we pay Re-turn and Repak in 2026, in euros, and what share of each came from which SKUs?
- Which of our drinks packs fall outside the deposit by size, material or product, and are they on the right Repak lines?
- What does our deposit float cost us, given the gap between paying Re-turn and collecting from customers?
- How exposed is our Repak bill to glass, which rose 158.3% for 2026?
- Do any of our imported containers carry international barcodes, and what does the surcharge cost a year?
- Who owns the Re-turn monthly report and the Repak half-yearly return, and do the two reconcile?

## What to watch

- **31 Dec 2026:**  Repak withdraws from Green Dot licensing; Re-turn's outcome of the 2025 retailer handling fee review is due to be communicated during 2026 (Repak Annual Report 2025; Re-turn 2025 Annual Report).
- **Jan 2027:**  Repak's H1 2027 invoices issue on H1 2026 tonnages under the 2027 regular membership rates (Repak QF 509; Repak 2027 rates sheet).
- **Feb 2027:**  the Green Dot may no longer be printed directly on packaging; H2 2026 Repak statistics are due by 21 February (Repak Annual Report 2025; QF 509).
- **3 Jul 2027:**  the Commission's evaluation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive falls due, covering the bottle measures Re-turn serves ([PR-EU-014](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/data/packaging-regulation-tracker/european-union/pr-eu-014/)).
- **12 Aug 2028:**  first possible date for the harmonised EU sorting label on packaging sold in Ireland ([PR-EU-003](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/data/packaging-regulation-tracker/european-union/pr-eu-003/)).
- **1 Jan 2029:**  the 90% separate collection target for plastic beverage bottles, which Re-turn names on its producer page ([PR-IE-001](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/data/packaging-regulation-tracker/ireland/pr-ie-001/), [PR-EU-007](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/data/packaging-regulation-tracker/european-union/pr-eu-007/)).

## Methodology

- **Data used:**  SPI fee-market notes and calculator rows for Ireland, the [PR-IE-001](https://www.strategicpackaginginsights.com/data/packaging-regulation-tracker/ireland/pr-ie-001/) tracker rule and the IE jurisdiction note, brought up to date from Repak's 2025, 2026 and 2027 fee documents, Repak's 2025 annual report and guides, Re-turn's producer page, fee table and 2025 annual report, and S.I. Nos. 282/2014, 322/2020, 659/2022, 167/2025, 541/2025, 599/2021, 33/2024 and 555/2024, all consulted on 24 October 2026.
- **Counting rules:**  Repak rates are brand holder or importer shares per tonne, excluding VAT, unless a total is stated. Re-turn fees are per container. Per-tonne equivalents of Re-turn fees divide the fee by an SPI-assumed container weight excluding cap and label. Euros only; no currency is converted.
- **Worked example and scenarios:**  unit counts, weights and SKU count are SPI assumptions. The Repak stress case repeats the 2025 to 2026 step and is not a forecast.
- **Cut-off:**  24 October 2026.
- **Limitations:**  Re-turn's 2026 producer fees and Repak's 2027 rates are not yet confirmed by SPI; Re-turn's return rate is not split by material; the estimate is not an invoice or a liability. Confirm obligations with Repak and Re-turn, and check with counsel where it applies.

## Sources

1. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 282/2014, European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014, [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/282/made/en/pdf](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/282/made/en/pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
2. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 322/2020, European Union (Packaging) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/si/322/made/en/print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/si/322/made/en/print), consulted 2026-10-24.
3. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 659/2022, European Union (Packaging) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (made 14 December 2022), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/659/made/en/pdf](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/659/made/en/pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
4. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 167/2025, European Union (Packaging) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (made 1 May 2025), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2025/si/167/made/en/pdf](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2025/si/167/made/en/pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
5. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 541/2025, European Union (Packaging and Packaging Waste) (Designation of Competent Authorities) Regulations 2025 (made 6 November 2025), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2025/en/si/0541.html](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2025/en/si/0541.html), consulted 2026-10-24.
6. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 599/2021, Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021 (made 17 November 2021), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/599/made/en/print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/599/made/en/print), consulted 2026-10-24.
7. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 33/2024, Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2024 (made 31 January 2024), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/33/made/en/print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/33/made/en/print), consulted 2026-10-24.
8. Irish Statute Book, S.I. No. 555/2024, Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (made 22 October 2024), [https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/555/made/en/print](https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2024/si/555/made/en/print), consulted 2026-10-24.
9. gov.ie, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Minister approves 10-year licence for Repak (16 January 2026), [https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/press-releases/minister-dillon-approves-10-year-licence-for-repak/](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/press-releases/minister-dillon-approves-10-year-licence-for-repak/), consulted 2026-10-24.
10. gov.ie, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, new packaging and packaging waste rules signed into law (19 December 2022, updated 9 March 2023), [https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/press-releases/minister-ryan-signs-new-packaging-and-packaging-waste-rules-into-law/](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/press-releases/minister-ryan-signs-new-packaging-and-packaging-waste-rules-into-law/), consulted 2026-10-24.
11. gov.ie, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Consultation on removing the self-compliance option for packaging producers (16 September 2022), [https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/consultations/consultation-on-removing-the-self-compliance-option-for-packaging-producers-under-the-european-union-packaging-regulations-2014/](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/consultations/consultation-on-removing-the-self-compliance-option-for-packaging-producers-under-the-european-union-packaging-regulations-2014/), consulted 2026-10-24.
12. gov.ie, Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme is live (1 February 2024), [https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/8526d-irelands-deposit-return-scheme-is-now-live](https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/8526d-irelands-deposit-return-scheme-is-now-live), consulted 2026-10-24.
13. Repak, Regular Member 2026 fees sheet, [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Member_2026_Fees_Sheet.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Member_2026_Fees_Sheet.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
14. Repak, Regular fees 2025, [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Fees_2025.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Fees_2025.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
15. Repak, 2027 Regular Membership Rates (QF 628), [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Regular_Member_Fees_2027.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Regular_Member_Fees_2027.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
16. Repak, 2026 Scheduled Members Fees (QF 099 v13), [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Scheduled_Members_Fees_2026_1.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Scheduled_Members_Fees_2026_1.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
17. Repak, Become a member, [https://repak.ie/members/become-a-member/](https://repak.ie/members/become-a-member/), consulted 2026-10-24.
18. Repak, Regular Membership Guide 2026, [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Member_Guide_2026.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/Repak_Regular_Member_Guide_2026.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
19. Repak, QF 509 Statistical Returns Training (v2), [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/QF%20509%20-%20Repak%20Statistical%20Returns%20Training.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/downloads/QF%20509%20-%20Repak%20Statistical%20Returns%20Training.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
20. Repak, Annual Report 2025, [https://repak.ie/images/uploads/reports/Repak_Annual_Report_2025.pdf](https://repak.ie/images/uploads/reports/Repak_Annual_Report_2025.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
21. Re-turn, Producer obligations (modified 20 October 2026), [https://re-turn.ie/producer](https://re-turn.ie/producer), consulted 2026-10-24.
22. Re-turn, Producer fees, update of 29 September 2023, [https://media.re-turn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Producer-Fees-Updated-September-2023-2.pdf](https://media.re-turn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Producer-Fees-Updated-September-2023-2.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
23. Re-turn, 2025 Annual Report (year ended 31 December 2025), [https://media.re-turn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025-Annual-Report.pdf](https://media.re-turn.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025-Annual-Report.pdf), consulted 2026-10-24.
24. Re-turn, Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme records 2.5 billion cans and bottles re-turned (5 March 2026), [https://re-turn.ie/2-5-billion-cans-and-bottles-re-turned/](https://re-turn.ie/2-5-billion-cans-and-bottles-re-turned/), consulted 2026-10-24.
25. SPI Regulation Tracker, Ireland (PR-IE-001), and SPI EPR & Plastic Tax Calculator, Ireland rows, /data/packaging-regulation-tracker/ireland/, consulted 2026-10-24.