In a letter to Environment Secretary George Eustice MP made public today (13 July), 20 Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have asked the UK Government to ‘widen the scope’ of materials within its proposals for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
The cross-party group addresses certain gaps that the Government must fill to ‘introduce the most ambitious scheme possible’ – specifically, by including cartons to the materials listed on the DRS.
This inclusion, the letter states, is necessary for the DRS to foster ‘an improved recycling culture, take a step towards realising the country’s net zero targets, and achieve a truly circular economy’.
In support of incorporating cartons, the letter nods towards the material’s success in existing DRS’ in Australia and Canada, as well as trials in Serbia and Sweden – which ‘have proven that cartons work well in reverse vending machines’.
It goes on to highlight Halifax’s carton recycling plant, which should avoid any issues with the ‘onward processing of cartons collected in the DRS’.
In December 2018, the Government published its Resources and Waste Strategy, outlining ways in which it would work towards ‘ambitions of doubling resource productivity and zero avoidable waste by 2050, maximising the value we extract from our resources, and minimising waste and the associated negative environmental impacts’.
As part of this strategy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched three consultations on 18 February 2019 – including the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers (DRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The UK Government hopes that the DRS will increase the recycling rate of drinks containers while reducing littering. It also aims to encourage change in consumer behaviour, achieving higher levels of drinks container recycling.
In March, the Department for Food, Environment, and Rural Affairs (Defra) specified that the DRS will be all-in, with all single-use containers between 50ml and 3ltr falling within the system’s scope. This will include units sold both individually and in multipacks, in line with the approach taken in Scotland.
Earlier this month, the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO), and Environmental Services Association (ESA) published an open letter urging the Government to address delays to its packaging and recycling reforms, including the DRS.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.