More than 1.08 million plastic bottles and cans were collected for recycling at Electric Picnic in Stradbally, County Laois, raising €160,000 for children's charities and local community organisations, deposit return scheme operator Re-turn announced.

The collection nearly doubled the 545,000 containers gathered at the festival in 2025, marking the highest volume recorded at a single event in the scheme's history. Over 80,000 music fans attended the three-day festival in Stradbally Hall.

Re-turn expanded its infrastructure across the festival site this year, deploying more than 300 designated orange bins, reverse vending machines, and teams of volunteers and "Re-turn Rangers." Containers donated through the orange bins supported the "Return for Children" initiative, which benefits six national charities: Barnardos, Barretstown, Childline by ISPCC, Jack & Jill Children's Foundation, LauraLynn Ireland's Children's Hospice, and Make-A-Wish Ireland.

Community and sports organisations also gathered eligible containers on-site to fund local projects. Meath Camogie volunteers collected 233,610 bottles and cans, raising €35,000 for the club's land purchase campaign. Other participating groups included Killeshin GAA, Children's Books Ireland, and the Down Syndrome Centre.

Re-turn chief executive Ciaran Foley described the collection as an "incredible achievement" that ensured valuable materials remained within the circular economy while supporting good causes. The Electric Picnic drive brought Re-turn's summer-long "Re-turn for Good" campaign to a close, having raised over €335,000 across major Irish concerts, sporting events, and cultural festivals.