A coalition of environmental organisations, including Keep Britain Tidy and Reloop, are calling on all political parties to back bottle deposit schemes in upcoming General Election manifestos.
7 in 10 Britains support the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS), polling conducted for Reloop showed. Reloop said its survey found support for the policy among potential voters of all major parties.
Once the scheme was explained to respondents, Reloop said there was 77% amongst Conservative voters, 69% support with Labour voters, and 71% among Liberal Democrat voters.
The scheme will see a small deposit placed on drinks bottles and cans to incentivise their return for recycling.
The deposit return scheme was originally announced in 2017, however, repeated delays mean that it will now be delivered by the next government, with the scheme set to begin across the UK in October 2027.
The environmental organisations calling on the government include Surfers Against Sewage, Keep Britain Tidy, the Marine Conservation Society, and Reloop.
We’ve heard positive things from all major parties about the DRS over recent months, now it’s time to commit these warm words to the pages of their manifestos.
Keep Britain Tidy’s National Litter Survey found that drinks containers made up 75% of street litter by volume, and the Marine Conservation Society has found the products on 93% of UK beaches it surveyed.
Jenni Hume, UK and Ireland Director at Reloop said: “This General Election presents an opportunity for parties to articulate their solutions for tackling the litter and waste crises.
“We’ve heard positive things from all major parties about the DRS over recent months, now it’s time to commit these warm words to the pages of their manifestos.
“A bottle deposit scheme is an overwhelmingly popular reform which would incentivise everyone to do their part to drive up recycling rates and quality for drinks bottles and cans, with international examples showing remarkable reductions of litter in parks, rivers and beaches.
“A future government can secure the greatest environmental benefits and best tackle the scourge of litter by committing to a scheme that includes glass, metal and plastic containers across the UK.”
