Bulk bottle deposit return planned by big Portlaoise service station

A big Laois service station is planning to install the first bulk bottle returns machine in the county, if their social media hint is to be believed.

The Re-Turn.ie deposit return scheme's Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) are already being installed in other counties in Ireland, taking the long wait out of queuing up to return plastic bottles one by one, to reclaim deposit fees.

Downey's Centra on the Dublin Road in Portlaoise has dropped a big hint on their Instagram story.

"Is feeding bottles in 1 by 1 into the DRS machine a big inconvenience? Just wait... something big is coming," the Laois business said.

They are awaiting planning approval from Laois County Council to install a deposit return facility in its own building.

The Portlaoise owned service station is undergoing a huge reconstruction, two sites closer to town, on the demolished site of the old Leinster Express business park.

The project must also rebuild a new bigger roundabout at the busy junction to Colliers Lane which Laois County Council says will be completed this year.

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Construction includes a two storey petrol filing station and licenced forecourt convenience store with a retail shop, delicatessen, toilets, stores, ATM, seating area with full off-licence to ground floor.  The first floor will have staff facilities with a canteen, offices spaces, plant space and external plant.

There will be a forecourt with canopy, pump islands, signage, illuminated roadside totem signage, services area, Carwash, underground fuel storage tanks. It will have 48 parking spaces including five for EV charging, three disability spaces and six bicycle spaces. It will have a fuel offloading point, a new site entrance, new boundary treatments and landscaping.