The deposit return schemes in England and Northern Ireland will include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, and aluminium drink containers, but not glass, Mary Creagh has confirmed.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke, Mary Creagh said glass would not be an in-scope material for the deposit return schemes (DRS) in England and Northern Ireland.
Creagh, the minister with responsibility for circular economy, said the DRS for drinks containers across all four nations would include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3 litres.
Creagh said that once the DRS for drinks containers is introduced, the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) will be required to reach a collection rate of 90% of DRS containers in year 3 of the scheme.
Creagh has previously said the UK Government plans to launch a DRS for drinks containers before the previous October 2027 deadline.
This clarification is useful as we move towards the introduction of a consistent DRS across the UK, and is also consistent with CIWM’s stated position.
Earlier this year, the Welsh Government reaffirmed its commitment to including glass in its DRS and said excluding glass could lead to producers switching to less environmentally-friendly materials, as well as make the glass sector less competitive.
The previous Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said he would decline a request from the Welsh Government for full exclusion from the Internal Market Act, which would exclude them from collecting glass as part of its DRS. This is what led to the Scottish scheme collapsing last year.
Reacting to the decision, Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, Dan Cooke said: “This clarification is useful as we move towards the introduction of a consistent DRS across the UK, and is also consistent with CIWM’s stated position.
“Acknowledging there will be differing views from across the sector, practicalities including the high carbon impacts from the transportation of glass to and from collection points (in addition to existing kerbside collections), the cost of glass capable reverse vending machines, potential health and safety risks associated with handling broken glass, and difficulties counting broken glass bottles at collection centres, are all factors that suggest it’s right to exclude it at this stage.”
Majority of public want glass included in DRS
Earlier this year, a survey showed that 73% of Britons want the UK Government to launch a DRS for all drinks containers including aluminium cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles.
The poll of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by Alupro and conducted by Yonder between 30 August to 1 September 2024.
Alupro, an industry-funded, not-for-profit organisation representing the aluminium industry, said the poll showed Britons want an interoperable DRS across the UK that includes all materials no later than 2027.
Commitment to circular economy transition
Responding to a different parliamentary question, Creagh said: “The government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs; our economy prospers; and nature thrives.”
