Volunteers within a Laois GAA club spent last weekend collecting over 70,000 cans and bottles on the Electric Picnic grounds.

The club were delighted to announce that through the Re-Turn scheme, they have raised over €15,000 in funds that will go back into the club.

Mr Paul Brennan, Chairperson of Killeshin GAA, spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live following the achievement.

Pictured: Volunteers transporting some of the cans collected at this year's Laois festival

"We were delighted with how it went, it was good for us and it was good promotion for the Re-Turn scheme," he said.

"We hope that this is the start of a good relationship between us, the Re-Turn scheme and Electric Picnic going forward," Mr Brennan said.

Over 40 volunteers spent the weekend walking around campsites collecting bottles and cans.

"We were there from Friday to Sunday. Last year, we decided to try the deposit Re-Turn initiative to raise funds for the club, no one else was doing it at the time," Mr Brennan explained.

"We got 12-14 Re-Turn bins and placed them around the area, every two weeks we would go and collect the cans and bottles from them, we made €475 last year. The money we have raised from Electric Picnic will pay towards half of our development loans from over the summer," he said.

"During the week we got in GDA who work with Laois and Leinster, we will give a few pound towards him and and he'll come into our schools and look at our juvenile structures, helping our players improve," he said.

"We are a vibrant club in a really positive spell, we have great people in the club. The videos went viral and people caught on that its a good fundraiser initiative. If you look at the TikToks you see that the bins are only a small part of it, you're going around picking up bottles from campsites, it's hard work and money well earned," Mr Brennan finished.

The club hopes to return to Electric Picnic again next year.

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