The ‘Cash for plastic’ deposit return scheme has been delayed to 2027, almost a decade after the nationwide programme for recycling drinks bottles was initially proposed.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed today that the plastic recycling initiative has been delayed by an additional two years, following an ongoing row between the Scottish, British and Welsh governments over whether glass bottles should also be included in the scheme.
Now expected to go live in October 2027, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will allow members of the public to return used plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans in exchange for a cash reward of 20p.
It will not include glass bottles.
Environment minister Robbie Moore told parliament the scheme would not include glass as it would “create undue complexity” and “increase storage and handling costs for retailers”.
Subscribe to Sustainability Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest sustainability news sent straight to your inbox everyday
Moore also said the delay would allow the UK to synchronise DRS policy across Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Scotland has agreed to remove glass from its scheme after being asked to by the UK government, although Wales has not.
Marine Conservation Society CEO Sandy Luk said: “It’s a huge disappointment that the new scheme isn’t going to start for another three years and isn’t going to cover glass bottles. For our ocean’s sake, we can’t keep kicking the can – or bottle – down the road.
“We call on the UK government to speed up this law and to follow Wales’s ambition to include plastic, metal and glass.”
The charity Keep Britain Tidy also calls the exclusion of glass from the scheme “hugely disappointing”.
Head of the charity, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: “This delay means oceans of bottles and cans will continue to needlessly pile up in bins and continue to be strewn on roadsides and in our green spaces, rather than being recycled.
“The exclusion of glass is hugely disappointing. Glass containers start fires and cause harm to people, pets and wildlife. This is why 78% of people want to see it included in a deposit return scheme. We are pleased that Wales look determined to pursue their best-in-class scheme, and encourage the rest of the UK to follow suit.”
By introducing a nationwide DRS, it is hoped that recycling rates of single-use drinks containers will rise to at least 90%.
