A planned bottle deposit scheme aimed at boosting recycling and reducing waste in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has been postponed by a year, The Times reports. The Deposit Return Scheme, a similar initiative to one which begins in Scotland in August, was set to start in late 2024, but has been delayed until October 2025 after government documents set a new "stretching start date" yesterday (January 21).
Controversy has emerged as glass bottles - a material that greatly damages the environment - are not included in the scheme in England and Northern Ireland, yet will feature in Wales and Scotland.
The UK uses an estimated 14 million plastic bottles each year, but there is currently only a 70 per cent recycling rate for drink containers. The aim of the scheme is to increase that rating to above 90 per cent, with hopes that people will pay a fee which will be refunded when they return the bottle to shops to be recycled..
While the decision of the charge has been delayed by England, Wales and Northern Ireland, in Scotland people will be charged a 20p deposit. The level now is to be set by the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO). With 60% of voters in a government consultation supporting a minimum 20p fee, it is understood that the cost per person will be roughly around that level.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are yet to confirm how many return points retailers will give in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the bottles with its cap or lid attached. The Scottish government however has pledged there will be tens of thousands in the country.
Rebecca Pow, the environment minister, said: “We want to support people who want to do the right thing to help stop damaging plastics polluting our green spaces or floating in our oceans and rivers.” 83 per cent of people that responded to the consultation were in favour of the scheme, indicating an overwhelming public endorsement. Additionally large drinks companies such as Coca-Cola and soft drinks trade bodies are in support of the move.
While the biggest consumer of bottles - glass - will be excluded in England, the initiative will include plastic bottles up to 3 litres. England has considered capping the smallest ones at under 750 ml in the past.
Amy Slack, head of campaigns at the charity Surfers Against Sewage, said excluding glass was a missed opportunity: “The government has rolled back on its 2019 manifesto commitment to include glass, one of the most environmentally damaging materials."
Michael Gove, who ended his tenure as Environment Secretary at the conclusion of Theresa May's time as Prime Minister, first confirmed the plans in 2018. Should the start date of 2025 remain, the scheme will have taken seven years to transition from an idea to a reality.
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