Environmental campaigners have urged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to prioritize the implementation of a “comprehensive” deposit return scheme. This call has been made at the Nature 2030 and Keep Wales Tidy forum with environmental leaders, Defra spokeswoman Cathy Bakewell, pointed out that it was “essential” that the deposit return scheme (DRS) was in place by 2027 and added that. “recycling was in every part of the main parties’ manifestos. It should therefore be easy to achieve consensus across Parliament.”
DRSs operate in more than 40 countries and apply a small charge to everyday beverage containers, which is reimbursed when the item is recycled in a bottle bank.
The previous Conservative government was criticized by environmental campaigners after implementation of the scheme was delayed until 2027.
In April 2024, ministers confirmed their intention to exclude glass from the scheme.
The Scottish and Welsh governments had initially set out to include glass within their DRS.
Research by MPs and Keep Britain Tidy has found that 76% of the British public believe that glass should be included in the proposed recycling initiative.
The charity argued that the only way to ensure adequate protections for the environment and wildlife is to adopt a comprehensive DRS that includes glass and plastic bottles along with metal cans.
According to research by Keep Britain Tidy, more than two million pieces of litter are thrown away every day in the UK, costing taxpayers more than £1 billion a year to clean up.
Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, commented: “To address the waste crisis, we ultimately need strength and certainty from the government.
Labour has a clear opportunity, with its historic majority, to fix the mess the previous government left us with in terms of the DRS.
“Both the environment and industry can no longer afford further delays and disruptions to a scheme that should have been implemented years ago.
“With building a circular economy as one of Defra’s stated priorities, I urge Secretary of State Steve Reed MP to work with the devolved administrations to implement a DRS that includes plastic, glass and metal packaging by 2027. We must get back on track to deliver a circular economy. Labour must implement an effective deposit return scheme.”
