In a move which could have ramifications for the convenience sector and its shoppers, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) minister Mary Creagh has indicated that glass bottles will be excluded from England and Northern Ireland’s deposit return scheme (DRS), in line with plans first put in place by the Conservatives.
The decision comes as new data reveals overwhelming public support (74%) for introducing a comprehensive DRS that includes plastic, glass and aluminium cans. The research, released by Nature 2030 and Keep Wales Tidy, comes as Labour environment minister Mary Creagh indicated she would stick with Conservative proposals to exclude glass from the Deposit Return Schemes in England and Northern Ireland.
Mary Creagh wrote: “The DRS for drinks containers across all four nations will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to three litres. In England and Northern Ireland, materials included in DRS are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel and aluminium drink containers. Glass will not be in scope of the scheme.”
The decision will keep England and Northern Ireland out of step with proposals from the Welsh and Scottish governments. It also pre-empts DEFRA’s ‘rapid review’ of the previous government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, which includes proposals for a deposit return scheme.
It was widely hoped that Labour ministers would follow the approach taken across much of Europe, by including glass bottles within England’s scheme, paving the way for a consistent approach across the United Kingdom. Dominic Dyer, Chair of Nature 2030, said: “There’s strong public demand for Labour to U-turn on this absurd Conservative position of excluding glass from England and Northern Ireland’s deposit return scheme.”
Meanwhile Owen Derbyshire, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said: “Creating an ambitious and glass-inclusive deposit return scheme is vital for protecting both people and the planet. The Welsh Government’s proposals - which include glass - offer a ready-to-go blueprint for the rest of the UK, enabling us to meet the clear calls from the public to ensure we have maximum possible protections for the environment.
“Ministers should carefully consider how they will ensure adequate levels of protection are achieved in the absence of a wide-ranging deposit return scheme like we see across much of Europe.”
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