UK deposit return system would attract big public support, national survey finds

30 Jul 2019 --- Seventy-two percent of Brits would support a UK-wide deposit return system (DRS) for plastic and glass drinks bottles and aluminum cans, according to a Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) survey. This follows recent comments made by former Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, in support of an “all-in” DRS including drink containers of all materials and sizes, and Scotland’s commitment to introducing a DRS for glass, plastic, steel and aluminum drinks containers of all sizes in 2021. CPRE is now urging the new Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers, to introduce a UK-wide DRS. As well as having environmental benefits, DRS could generate £2 billion (US$2.4 billion) for the economy over a decade, CPRE suggests.

This month, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced the results of its Resources and Waste Strategy for England consultations, including the proposed introduction a DRS. Respondents “overwhelmingly agreed” with a DRS for all materials consulted on: polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans and glass bottles.

Respondents support a scheme including polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans and glass bottles.“Levels of public support for a DRS are extremely high right across the UK, but the Scottish government is just slightly ahead in terms of the time frames for getting a scheme introduced,” Phil Richards, Media Relations Lead at CPRE, tells PackagingInsights. “While it is fantastic that the UK government has given its backing to introduce a deposit system, we are still awaiting some of the details on what drinks containers the system will include. With the Scottish government already setting the bar quite high by committing to include glass and plastic bottles as well as steel and aluminum cans of all shapes and sizes, we are urging Theresa Villiers and the UK government to go one better and make sure that all cartons and pouches are included too.”

In addition to the widespread support for DRS in general, a third of people believe that the UK-wide system should be just as comprehensive as the one committed to in Scotland, and 39 percent believe that the UK-wide system should include more materials, such as drinks cartons and pouches, according to the CPRE survey. Countries such as Norway, which already have a DRS in place that includes cartons and pouches, have recycling rates as high as 95 percent. Meanwhile, UK recycling rates have plateaued around 45 percent. 

Richards also notes that only 8 percent of people were in opposition to a DRS in the survey. “Twenty percent responded with ‘neither support or oppose’ and ‘don’t know,’ which is purely down to a lack of information and understanding. In countries that already have a deposit system in place, support tends to be quite high prior to its introduction – just as it is here, which is really encouraging – but then once the scheme is rolled out and people actually experience the benefits of a deposit system, its ease of use, the reduced levels of litter and increased recycling rates, support tends to keep on rising.”

“We urge Theresa Villiers to hit the ground running in her new role as Environment Secretary. She must make a swift and formal commitment to introduce the most effective system in the world – one that includes every single drinks bottle, can, carton or pouch of every size and material – and not give in to attempts to water down the system for vested corporate interests,” adds Maddy Haughton-Boakes, Litter Campaigner at CPRE.

The benefits of the scheme
Over a decade, an “all-in” DRS could generate £2 billion (US$2.4 billion) which would come from less waste being sent to landfill, less cleanup costs for littered containers, reduced air and water pollution, and less carbon emissions caused by the extraction and production of raw materials needed to produce new drinks containers, CPRE indicates.Scheme benefits include less cleanup costs for littered containers, reduced air and water pollution, and less carbon emissions. 

“The monetary incentive of a deposit on cans, bottles, cartons and pouches is a really effective way of encouraging people to do the right thing – just like the carrier bag charge, which has reduced plastic bag usage by over 80 percent. The scheme will boost recycling rates to more than 90 percent. This will virtually eliminate drinks containers from being littered in our countryside, streets, rivers and oceans. Any that are littered will be swiftly picked up by passers-by because they carry a financial value. This will be hugely beneficial to our countryside, wildlife and environment,” adds Richards. 

He notes that as the impact that humans are having on the planet is becoming more severe, public awareness is rising along with an appetite to do something about it. “People want to see changes that will halt or reverse the damage that is being done, and a DRS has the ability to do just that.”

Amcor, a company that makes containers covered by various deposit return programs in US states, Canadian provinces, and countries in Latin America, warns that some variations of DRS are more effective than others. “If the government decides to go ahead with a DRS, it should be designed to create the best outcomes for the environment, including enabling more recycled content in new packaging, while being convenient for consumers,” Medlina de Boer, Director External Communications at Amcor tells PackagingInsights. 

“If DRS are implemented, beverage cartons, bottles made of other plastics (like PLA and PVC), and drink pouches should also be in the scope. Otherwise, those packages become more attractive as a way to avoid complying with a DRS, increasing the littering of those alternative packages,” de Boer concludes. 

Scotland’s impending DRS has not been without controversy, with an economic report earlier this year claiming the scheme would be a “highly inefficient” way to increase recycling and recovery rates in the nation. Additionally, the inclusion of glass bottles in the scheme will add £50 million (US$65 million) per year to operating costs, with consumers footing the bill.

By Katherine Durrell