Circular economy minister Mary Creagh has set out more detail of the proposed deposit return scheme (DRS).
The MP for Coventry East gave fresh insight into the Labour government’s plans for the system, which was initially mooted by the former Conservative administration.
The Tories said in January that retailers would need to set up reverse vending machines to take aluminium and steel drinks cans and PET bottles in England and Northern Ireland by 1 October 2025. Devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland planned to include glass in their schemes.
Responding to a question in Parliament, Creagh told MPs last week: “The DRS across all four nations will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3l.
“In England and Northern Ireland, materials included in DRS are PET plastic, steel and aluminium drink containers. Glass will not be in scope of the scheme.”
Creagh said the UK failed to recycle an estimated 4 billion plastic and 2.5bn metal drinks containers every year.
“Once the DRS for drinks containers is introduced, the Deposit Management Organisation will be required to reach a collection rate of 90 per cent of DRS containers in Year 3 of the scheme,” she added.
“Further details, including monetary analysis on the reduction of disamenity of litter, will be provided in the DRS Final Impact Assessment. This will be published when the Statutory Instrument is laid in Parliament.”
