73% of Britons in favor of DRS

Seventy-three percent of Britons want the new Labour government to move forward with a deposit return scheme (DRS) for all beverage containers, including aluminum cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles, according to the Alupro poll.

The poll, conducted among 2,000 UK adults, was carried out by Yonder between August 30 and September 1, 2024. Some 65% of respondents said Whitehall should follow the example of their Welsh Government colleagues by setting binding recycling targets for local authorities.

More than 8 in 10 Britons who expressed an opinion in the survey said the Labour Party should be bold and pass key environmental policies.

82% of Britons said they wanted Labour to “right the wrongs” of 14 years of Conservative government. Campaigners fear that key environment-related promises will be delayed as the Labour government prioritizes repairing the public finances.

The deposit refund schemes in the four UK nations have suffered multiple delays and disputes over the scope of materials included.

Currently, glass is excluded from schemes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, but is included in Wales. However, today’s survey revealed that Britons want an interoperable scheme that includes all materials in the UK by 2027 at the latest.

A deposit return scheme (DRS) would involve an additional charge for beverage containers that can be recovered by returning them to a collection point.

The survey has been published ahead of the Labour Party 2024 Conference in Liverpool. At the conference, experts will discuss how the Labour Party can achieve a real circular economy.

Tom Giddings, chief executive of Alupro, said, “The British public couldn’t be clearer. They want Labour to move forward and deliver results for the environment. They don’t want decorative environmental policies and I hope that deposit return schemes will not be delayed beyond 2027.