Passengers can choose to cash their deposits at the airport's cafés, bars, or food court, or donate them at one of two charity reverse vending machines (RVMs) or two regular RVMs.

The 'Return for Children' campaign, which supports six of Ireland's biggest children's charities, including Barnardos, Childline, and Make-A-Wish Ireland, will receive all proceeds from the charitable RVMs found both airside and landslip.

Every bottle or can recycled by the charity machines "contributes directly to making a difference in the lives of children in need," according to Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn.

Niall MacCarthy, managing director of Cork Airport, stated that the airport is dedicated to doing its share to guarantee a sustainable future for Irish aviation.

Recycling aluminium cans and plastic bottles is essential, and we are honoured to be the first transport hub in Ireland to implement this program.

"We’re delighted to have the best energy reduction of all Irish airports and commercial semi-state bodies in the last two years and we have an ambitious and progressive sustainability plan," he stated.

Since its debut in February 2024, Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme has resulted in the return of almost 700 million containers for recycling.