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Deposit Return Schemes
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Updated information
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CPRE: "We recommend that:
a. any DRS that government may consider implementing is developed for the UK or GB, if possible, and not England in isolation;
b. to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort for all involved, Defra should work with the Devolved Governments to ensure that a comprehensive impact assessment for any proposed DRS is done on a UK or GB-wide basis;
c. Defra and Devolved Governments consider a joint consultation on a UK or GB-wide DRS."
"A simple solution to drinks container litter Litter left in our countryside, streets, parks and rivers isn’t just an eyesore – it can be extremely harmful to wildlife and nature, and it costs taxpayers millions of pounds in clean-up costs every year. Broken glass bottles and shredded cans are a huge threat to vehicle tyres, people and animals, while plastic bottles generally take hundreds of years to decompose – if at all – and we still don’t really understand the effects of microplastics. That is why CPRE feels so strongly about preventing and reducing litter – and it is something we have been campaigning on for a well over a decade.
"A key solution CPRE is campaigning for is a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). A DRS is a simple way of incentivising the recycling of drinks containers in order to stop them from ending up as litter. We had a big win in 2018 when the government announced it would look into introducing such a scheme. It looks like the scheme will be going ahead in some form, although timings are slipping, as legislation for the scheme is going into the Environment Bill. A DRS works by a small deposit – something like 20p – being added on to the price of all drinks containers, from your wine bottle to fizzy drinks can. This is then paid back upon returning the container to a designated machine or shop. Deposit systems are in place all over the world and are a key way to prevent waste, littering and increase the use of recycled content in packaging. However, as always, the devil is in the detail. We are still awaiting the scope of the system and with producers of drinks containers (those that make and profit from the sale of single-use drinks containers) continuing to lobby government for a limited system that leaves out certain types of materials or sizes, there’s a risk private profits will be put before people and our planet. We are calling for an all-in DRS which includes all sizes and materials of drinks containers. This system would not only see the biggest reductions in litter and CO2 but also create over £2 billion for the economy. An all-in scheme is clearly vital – let’s hope the government remains committed to introducing it in a timely fashion by 2023."
CPRE Recommendations
"In particular, we recommend that the government:
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Commit to an ‘all-in’ Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) that includes glass, plastic and metal drinks containers of all sizes by the end of 2023.
Applying a deposit to drinks containers prevents them being littered."
For further information see here.
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Our survey shows that 72% of people support the introduction of a UK-wide deposit return scheme.
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In June 2019 we created an online survey, run by national polling organisation YouGov, and asked 3,386 adults in the UK their views. And the results are overwhelming: almost three-quarters (72%) of you would support a deposit return scheme (DRS) for plastic and glass drinks bottles and aluminium cans being rolled out across the whole of the UK.
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In summer 2019, the former environment secretary, Michael Gove, gave his backing to an all-in DRS that includes all drinks containers of all materials and sizes. In his speech, Mr Gove said that he believed ‘an all-in model would give consumers the greatest possible incentive to recycle’.
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Naturally we support this approach, and our survey findings show that you do too. Now we’re keen for the current environment secretary to build on this and make a formal government commitment to introduce a DRS that would put a stop to the environmental damage caused by drinks containers.
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Maddy Haughton-Boakes, a CPRE campaigner, said: ‘It’s absolutely fantastic that so many people have shown such high levels of support for the scheme before it’s even been introduced. A DRS will transform the way we deal with waste, boost recycling and, as a result, finally put a stop to the harm that drinks containers are causing our countryside, environment and wildlife’.
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The Scottish government is ahead of us, and has already committed to introduce a DRS for glass, plastic, steel and aluminium drinks containers of all sizes. And we know that a scheme like this can transform recycling levels. Countries that already have effective deposit return schemes in place, such as Norway, achieve recycling rates as high as 95% for this type of waste. But here in the UK, overall recycling has plateaued at around 45%. It’s time to change – and like you, we want to see a comprehensive scheme in place. We’ll keep working hard to make this happen – and you can support us."