The Recycling Association says Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) policy should be “abandoned in its current guise” to focus on implementing other reforms.
Following the National Audit Office (NAO) report on resources and waste reforms, the Recycling Association says it shows that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) must focus on implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Consistency of Collection.
The Association says it already had “strong concerns” about DRS policy and warns it would allow “cherry-picking” of the best material and lead to confusion over recycling when people are used to putting bottles and cans in their kerbside collections.
The Recycling Association chief executive Paul Sanderson said they’d hoped to see more progress on the Resources & Waste Strategy and is concerned that the NAO found effective delivery plans for this policy do not exist.
EPR and Consistency are too important to be dragged down by DRS.
Sanderson commented: “How can recyclers, waste management companies, local authorities, retailers, manufacturers and other stakeholders plan for change when Defra hasn’t even done the delivery planning itself?
“EPR and Consistency of Collection reforms have the potential to transform the recycling sector, helping to improve the quality and quantity of material in this country. It means packaging will be designed for recyclability and almost everybody will have the same recycling collection wherever they live.
He continued that in 2018 the recycling industry was “broadly in favour” of these reforms, but the policy has been allowed to “drift” by Defra and the NAO is right to warn that businesses need clarity.
“Defra needs to respond to this report in the right way by getting on with implementing these flagship policies of EPR and Consistency of Collections. We completely agree with the NAO that Defra needs to develop a clear outline path to achieving its ambitions and provide clarity to all stakeholders. Our message to Defra on EPR and Consistency is: get on with it,” Sanderson said.
We completely agree with the NAO that Defra needs to develop a clear outline path to achieving its ambitions.
Speaking about DRS policy, Sanderson said it was “damning” that the NAO described its effectiveness as uncertain and said Defra doesn’t have plans to trial the scheme. He continued that DRS policy should be “dropped” so the focus can shift to implementing EPR and Consistency reforms.
Sanderson also said: “Wales is looking to trial digital DRS, so let’s wait and see how that goes. Digital DRS avoids the need to put in place expensive new infrastructure and allows householders to keep putting bottles and cans in their kerbside collections while ensuring local authorities and recyclers have access to these materials too.
“EPR and Consistency are too important to be dragged down by DRS, which as the NAO shows may not even work the way it is intended.”
