STORY
The Government has announced that a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans will be introduced in October 2027, in an attempt to increase recycling and reduce litter. Mary Creagh, the Minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said in a statement:
This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.
“This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife. Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“A deposit return scheme really is a silver bullet that will get plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans out of our parks, off our streets and away from our rivers and seas. Depressingly we litter, burn or bury millions of drinks containers each and every day. This legislation will end all that, save the taxpayer millions in clean-up costs and give recycling a real shot in the arm. Backed and paid for by producers, this method of retrieval and recycling is tried and tested the world over so at Keep Britain Tidy we are putting out the bunting that this government is committed to make it happen, for us all.”