89: Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn
As Ireland accelerates its transition towards a more circular and sustainable economy, few leaders are more closely associated with one of the country's most significant environmental initiatives than Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn. Combining more than three decades of experience in supply chain management, logistics, retail operations, and sustainability leadership, Ciaran is spearheading the organisation responsible for delivering Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme, a transformative programme designed to increase recycling, reduce litter, and drive meaningful environmental change nationwide. Prior to joining Re-turn, he served as Managing Director of DHL Supply Chain Ireland, overseeing a business of almost 1,000 employees and leading the development of innovative, sustainable logistics solutions across multiple sectors. He also held senior leadership roles with Tesco Ireland, where he was responsible for critical supply chain and distribution operations. Re-turn is the not-for-profit organisation appointed by the Irish Government to administer Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme, which was launched in February 2024. Re-turn works closely with producers, retailers, government agencies, and consumers to manage the nationwide system and support Ireland's environmental and recycling targets. Under his leadership, Re-turn has delivered one of the largest behavioural change programmes ever introduced in Ireland. Just two years after launch, more than 2.5 billion drinks containers had been returned through the system, helping Ireland move from a recycling rate of approximately 49% for in-scope containers to an estimated rate of over 90%. This is the 89th episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’, featuring special guest, Ciaran Foley, CEO of Re-turn.
