In this episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Ciaran Foley from Re-turn about how Ireland’s deposit system is performing just over two years after launch.

They discuss the strong progress the scheme has made, including overall container collection now exceeding 90% when mixed recycling is included, a sharp drop in litter and the growing role communities are playing in making the system a success.

The conversation also looks ahead to how Ireland can improve convenience, drive more returns through education and continue building support for separate collection over mixed recycling.

From charity donations and community fundraising to digital refund options and questions around unredeemed deposits, they explore both the achievements and the potential for Ireland’s DRS as it continues to evolve.

Single-use coffee cups have become a major contributor to city waste streams. Around 500 billion single-use cups are disposed of globally every year, and cities spend roughly 30–50% of their urban litter budgets managing single-use waste.

In this extended episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Jenni Hume, who joined Zero Waste Europe’s study tour examining reusable cup systems in Copenhagen and Aarhus. The trip brought together around 70 participants, including NGOs, European city officials, industry stakeholders and reuse experts.

The episode also features the audience Q&A recorded after the first screening of a new short film produced by Reloop and the Marine Conservation Society. The film takes a closer look at how the REUSABLE cup system in Aarhus operates alongside Denmark’s deposit return system.

The panel includes Simon Rossau from the REUSABLE system in Aarhus, Stine Ullmann-Poulsen from Dansk Retursystem, and Catherine Gemmell-Simpson from the Marine Conservation Society.

To view the three films produced as part of this project, visit reloopplatform.org/films

In this year-end special, we rewind through an eventful 2025—the year that Reloop turned ten and The Reloop Brief began. Host, Barry Snedden revisits standout moments from the season: activist Merijn “Plastic Soup Surfer” Tinga live from his paddleboard; Jackie Núñez on moving beyond “straws” to system change; Reloop CEO Clarissa Morawski on hard data proving deposits cut beverage litter; Data & Dashboard Manager Jason Wilcox on turning evidence into action with “What We Waste” and the "Global Deposit Dashboard", as well as Reloop Pacific’s Rob Kelman on Australia becoming the first continent fully covered by deposit systems—and what it takes to keep return rates high.

From grassroots sparks to policy implementation, the episode threads one story: credible data + citizen pressure + informed policy = circular outcomes.