The Deposit Return Scheme has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of tins and plastic bottles being dumped into Dublin's Dodder River, according to Dodder Action, a network of voluntary groups dedicated to protecting the river.

26 kilometres long, the Dodder is one of Dublin’s three main rivers, along with the Liffey and the Tolka. The river rises at Kippure in the Wicklow Mountains and flows through several densely populated suburbs of South Dublin before joining the Liffey at Ringsend.

Dodder Action is involved in several initiatives along the river, including water-testing and monthly clean-ups using refuse sacks provided by the local authorities.

At a recent clean-up Anne Cassin met volunteers to see what they were recovering from the river and to see if the Deposit Return Scheme was making a difference. Watch the video above.

- By Anne Cassin