New government deposit return scheme doesn't go far enough – © iStock
Environment minister Rebecca Pow has launched a new deposit return scheme to recycle plastic bottles and drink cans.
New plans set out in a consultation response detail that, through small cash deposits placed on single-use drinks containers, people would be incentivised to recycle their drinks bottles and cans, reducing litter and plastic pollution.
The scheme would include special machines, known as reverse vending machines, and designated sites where people can return their bottles and receive their cash back. In most cases it would be the retailers who sell drinks covered by the scheme who would host a return point.
Every year UK consumers go through an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles and nine billion drinks cans, many of which are littered or condemned to landfill.
The new scheme, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is set to be introduced in 2025, following extensive work with industry to prepare for the necessary changes – including setting up infrastructure and amending labelling. It aims to ensure 85% fewer drinks containers are discarded as litter after three years of its launch.
Pow said: "We want to support people who want to do the right thing to help stop damaging plastics polluting our green spaces or floating in our oceans and rivers. That is why we are moving ahead using our powers from our landmark Environment Act to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers. This will provide a simple and effective system across the country that helps people reduce litter and recycle more easily, even when on the move."
‘Government bottled it’
But other groups were sceptical. Megan Randles, a political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “Five years ago, Greenpeace was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with campaigning groups across the country calling for a deposit return scheme. Five years of wasted action on plastic waste. Five years of dithering and pollution. Five years of lobbying and watering down. This could have been a moment for celebration and, of course, for our environment it's better to have this proposed system rather than nothing. But even at the final hurdle, this government bottled it and excluded glass from the scheme.
“In what kind of world is collecting glass drinks containers not an essential part of a system designed to collect drinks containers? To be honest, it reeks of corporate lobbying – from the kind of companies who talk big on social responsibility but do everything they can to push the problems they create onto others. If we're serious about leaving a better natural environment for future generations, kicking the can down the road just doesn't cut it.”
A spokesperson for CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) said: “Whilst we support the concept in principle, we are still of the opinion that the scheme should wait until both national packaging EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and Consistent Collections in England have been fully implemented. In pressing ahead, we are at risk of introducing a scheme that could be very costly and might not have been needed if the desired outcomes from the other initiatives are realised. While CIWM can see the merits of excluding glass from a DRS, the fact this has not been applied across all nations means that there will be inconsistencies introduced at a time when we are trying to do just the opposite.”
The body said it was “dismayed with the proposed method of payment to local authorities for DRS material that ends up in their management, especially given that the overwhelming response back to government was that redeeming deposits was not workable”. It also urged the government to resolve the issue of VAT on the deposit “as a matter of urgency, so that all involved have a clear way forward in terms of the finances of the scheme”.
Trade body UKHospitality's chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Sustainability is a key focus for hospitality and, as part of the sector’s goal to reach net zero by 2040, venues have already made great strides to reduce plastic use and maximise recycling.
“As we have seen in Scotland, the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme is a colossal and complex undertaking. Lessons must be learned from that scheme, in particular the need for ample time to bring businesses along on the journey to ensure it is workable. The government’s planned implementation in 2025 is an encouraging start.
“There will be nuances between sectors which need factoring into the scheme’s design. For example, the operation of an online takeback scheme is simply not practical for hospitality. We would encourage the government to provide an exemption for this, like in Scotland.
“In order for this scheme to be a success, it needs to be designed in tandem with industry and it’s positive that the government has made that commitment.”
