In a bid to tackle poor recycling rates for drinks containers and also to reduce the amount of plastic that harms the environment, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has announced that the government is considering a new "reward and return" scheme specifically for such containers.
Mr Gove made the announcement at the Conservative Party conference. The scheme would essentially work by placing a small surcharge on drinks containers when a customer buys one. When the container is returned, that surcharge will be refunded to the customer, incentivising customers to take their plastic bottles and cans etc. for recycling. Such a scheme has received the support of Coca-Cola.
These kinds of schemes have been operational in other countries and have been rather successful. As yet, the government has not released any details about a possible scheme, but Mr Gove is appealing for views about how such a system might work in England, with the possibility that one day it may even become a reality. However, it is believed that a government working group on recycling will consider any views submitted and then issue a report in December.
Mr Gove said, "We must protect our oceans and marine life from plastic waste if we are to be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we found it. That means tackling the rise in plastic bottles entering our waters by making it simpler and easier to recycle and dispose of them appropriately. Today we are launching a call for evidence to help us understand how reward and return schemes for plastic bottles and other drinks containers could work in England."
Whilst some groups like Greenpeace and recycling charity WRAP have welcomed this news and the impending study, the British Retail Consortium has raised concerns about how this will increase costs for customers.
Back in September, the Scottish Government announced that it was considering a similar approach to bottles and cans, and now England is following suit.
Further information on the 'call for evidence' alongside details of how to submit views for consideration can be found on our consultation page. Anyone wanting to provide views on the scheme must do so by 30 October 2017.
