'We've raised over €20k..that's 200,000 cans and bottles': Cork schools recognised for recycling efforts

Two Cork schools are popping the plastic bottle caps in celebration following their success at the inaugural Re-turn Awards ceremony last week.

The awards recognise primary schools across Ireland that have gone above and beyond to ‘Re-turn it Right’, honouring creative initiatives that have made use of the Deposit Return Scheme to support sustainability, fundraising, and positive change within their communities.

Since the scheme’s launch in February, 2024, consumers have been encouraged to return empty bottles and other containers for a refund of the deposit made. Its over-arching aim is to reduce plastic waste, but many schools and communities across Ireland have used the initiative to raise funds for charity and other much-needed local projects.

The Cork schools in attendance at the Re-turn Awards Ceremony in Croke Park, which were hosted by Today FM presenter Ian Dempsey, were St Joseph’s National School, Fermoy, and Kildorrery National School.

Some 300 schools entered the awards, whittled down by the judges to just 16 winners across categories celebrating innovation, participation, sustainability, and community involvement.

“It’s been a fantastic day,” says Colm Barry, fifth and sixth class teacher at St Joseph’s, which won a Re-turn Local Legends (medium size school) award and €1,000 at the ceremony for its ‘Cans for Classrooms and Calm’ campaign.

The school had been collecting bottles and cans already when their principal, Geraldine Burke, had the idea to enter the awards, as Colm explains. “At a principal conference in Killarney, Geraldine actually heard about these awards and it just made sense for us.”

The Local Legends award specifically honours schools that have teamed up with their local community to make an impact.

For St Joseph’s, the aim of the campaign was to raise €20,000 to fund a new sensory room in the school and provide 20 new iPads for students.

“The idea came from Geraldine,” continues Colm, “but then we had to be supported by a team as it was such a big project. So we sent out flyers to the local houses around the school.

“The students got heavily involved and then there were also local businesses who actually set up bins in their canteens.”

These businesses were Sanmina, ABEC, Silver Pail Dairy, Kepak, Micro-Bio, and Teagasc at Moorepark, and the school also had a local sports partner in Fermoy Soccer Club.

What’s more, Riordan’s Super Valu Fermoy facilitated the recycling of the bottles and cans.

“A true partnership,” notes Colm, who considers that their campaign is proof that “leadership doesn’t have to come from the top down - it doesn’t have to be just one person leading it... For it to be such a success, we needed as many people as possible to help with it. 

“We’ve raised over €20,000. You’re looking at nearly 200,000 cans and bottles, which is amazing. That’s a huge project in our eyes.”

Smashing their fundraising target, St Joseph’s has been able to purchase the 20 new iPads and develop a new sensory room for students.

“There was huge work put into our sensory room,” adds Colm. “That’s been updated with all new kit and it’s now a space that’s really valued by everybody inside our school.”

Colm was joined at Croke Park by two students, Hugh Hickey and Tymon Stefanik, and SNA Marie Coakley, who were chosen to attend the ceremony in recognition of their commendable contributions to the campaign.

It truly was a team effort, however, which Colm is keen to stress, crediting everyone involved with “creating connections outside of the school and having the commitment and consistency to keep the project alive”.

The school is, as Colm notes, “reaping the rewards for that now” - not just in terms of their successful campaign efforts, but in the recognition they have received through this national award.

Dedication of Cork grandparents key to success  

The other Cork school receiving well-deserved recognition was Kildorrery National School, which achieved a Re-turn Heroes Award and €1,000 for its unique campaign driven by the weekly dedication of grandparents Eileen and Mario Murphy - the heroes in question - who collect, return, and process donated bottles and cans for the school.

“Eileen and Mario are retired. They say that they feel that they’re giving back, and they love to help out and support us in this way,” says Peter Roche from the Kildorrery National School Parents Association.

Eileen and Mario’s daughter, Nora Tennyson, who also sits on the Parents Association, initially had the idea for the campaign to raise money for a new sensory pod in the school.

The school is also supported by three local businesses in North Cork, including Thatch and Thyme restaurant in Kildorrery and the Downtown Takeaway in Mallow.

“All their collections get donated to the school every week,” explains Peter.

Students at the school and their families have also become enthusiastically engaged.

The Parents Association, Peter notes, “send out a reminder on our WhatsApp group every Monday evening to bring a bottle on the Tuesday. Some bring in more. It’s excellent.”

As well as raising money to fund the school’s new sensory pod, which will be installed this summer, Kildorrery National School have also donated some of their funds to charity.

“We have a very neurodiverse-aware association”, says Peter. “So in April, we decided that the money we collected for two weeks would go to AsIAm.

“And there’s another local cause, Caring for Claire, who are raising money for a lady in the town with Motor Neurone Disease. Claire’s family have a big connection to our school, so we also donated money there.”

Aided by the efforts of the whole school and wider community, Eileen and Mario Murphy have processed more than 18,600 bottles and cans so far, raising over €3,500. For a school of just 178 pupils and five staff, led by principal Rachel Kelly, these are significant numbers.

For their part, Eileen and Mario are showing no signs of stepping down. “Put it this way,” jokes Peter, “they haven’t given us their resignation!”. He adds: “They love doing it. It gets them out of the house for an hour or two in the morning. They go to the businesses and then one of the major shopping places with the big bags of collections where they can sit with each other and talk away about things.”

For the students, the campaign has been a great lesson in sustainability.

“It’s not even about the awards or the money coming in,” acknowledges Peter. “We can see the benefits of doing it through the awareness that has been raised, which is phenomenal.

“We’re hitting the right people, from six to 12 years of age. If they understand recycling then it makes it a bit easier for everyone going forward. And when they go back to school in September and they see the new sensory pod, it will be explained to them that they played a part in getting it.”

Both schools are keen to continue their recycling efforts beyond this year’s Re-turn awards. For now, they serve as inspiration for other primary schools across Cork and beyond.

Former Irish and Munster rugby international - and member of the Re-turn awards judging panel - Corkman Donncha O’Callaghan summed it up at the awards ceremony when he said: “Both students and teachers have shown incredible passion, community spirit and leadership, not just helping the environment, but also raising funds for projects and initiatives that make a real difference in their school and communities.

"What really stood out for me was the imagination behind so many of the entries. From fundraising drives to awareness campaigns, schools found brilliant ways to get everyone involved and create lasting change.

“Every school recognised today should be hugely proud of what they’ve achieved.”

For more information on the Re-turn School Awards, visit https://re-turn.ie/schoolawards/