DkIT’s “Recycle for Rescue” initiative presented with Bronze Award at the Inaugrual Re-turn Awards
An initiative between the Estates team at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Dundalk Dog Rescue (DDR) was presented with a Bronze Award at the recent Re-turn Awards which took place in Croke Park on Wednesday the 3rd June 2026.
The Re-turn Awards recognise the efforts of 3rd level educational Institutes and colleges that are collecting plastic bottles and cans to raise money for their college or a chosen charity – all while helping the environment.
DkIT’s “Recycle for Rescue” initiative was established in 2024 to help promote sustainable behaviour among students, reduce litter on campus and reduce recyclable waste, all while supporting a worthy local charity. Dundalk Dog Rescue were chosen as the partner to help run the initiative. The Estates team work closely with volunteers from DDR, who regularly collect the bags of bottles and cans from DkIT and transport them to the return machines. This collaboration has been instrumental to the scheme’s success and is essential to its operation.
The results of the scheme speak for themselves. For example, in the three-month period from January to March 2026 the recyclable waste at DkIT dropped by almost 5%, and the funds raised from the initiative during the same period covered 81% of the food bill incurred at DDR.
Speaking after the awards, Rita Mathews, the co-ordinator of the DkIT initiative team said:
“We are absolutely thrilled to win this Award; we have a great team of staff/students and volunteers on board that have made this possible. Our aim was to reduce the amount of recyclable waste and litter on campus, so thank you to all involved.”
DDR Representative: Edel Nolan, DDR Director who attended the award ceremony said:
"We are very grateful to the staff and students of DkIT for their ongoing support through the Re-turn initiative. By collecting bottles and cans and partnering with DDR, they are helping us provide much-needed food for the dogs in our care. Congratulations to everyone at DkIT on winning the Bronze Award at the Re-turn Awards — a fantastic achievement and a wonderful recognition of your commitment to sustainability and community support. Thank you for making such a positive difference."
