Despite recognising the “positive intent” behind a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), concerns over its impact were raised at the Resources and Waste Strategy Revisited conference yesterday (12 May).
In its latest consultation on a DRS in March, Defra said it is “committed” to introducing the system but confirmed that it would be exploring the “continued appetite” for the scheme, following hesitation around its implementation.
Scotland has its own plans and has opted for an ‘all-in’ system, also favoured by Wales, but Defra and Northern Ireland’s DAERA remain open on scope.
Tim
Tim Rotheray, director of innovation, regulation and environment at Viridor, said a DRS could make the recycling of beverage containers “more complex than it currently is”.
Tim Rotheray raised concerns around consumer participation
He said while moves to increase recycling rates of beverage containers are welcomed, he “doesn’t think that case has been concretely made yet” that a DRS achieves this more than the current system.
He added the DRS presents a risk of “upsetting kerbside recycling”, and that taking materials to a return point has the potential to be a “significant additional hassle” for some consumers.
Glass
Giving views on the DRS from the glass sector was managing director of glass manufacturer MKD32, Matthew Demmon.
Mr Demmon insisted that consistent collections and a successful extended producer responsibility (EPR) system will provide better results for the glass industry than a DRS.
Matthew Demmon spoke about the DRS on behalf of the glass sector
While Mr Dammon recognised the government’s “positive intent” with the scheme, he urged that it is important not to “knee jerk past the best solution, for something new and trendy.”
Noting that 2020 glass recycling rates were quickly approaching the 90% 2030 target, he added that there is “no justification” for glass to be included in the DRS.
He pointed to estimations that a DRS would take “two thirds” of glass out of the kerbside bin, meaning that the small amount left would not be worth collecting by councils and lead to it being crushed with other materials and “wasted”.
Alupro
Tom Giddings, the recently appointment sustainably and public affairs manager at Alupro, reaffirmed the company’s arguments for a variable rate all-in scheme.
He added that the DRS should be made “fair and equitable” to avoid reverse outcomes and should build on “existing recycling performance”, not undermine it.
Tom Giddings has recently taken over the position of sustainably and public affairs manager at Alupro
When describing the “key principles” for a “best practise” DRS in the UK, Mr Giddings warned that it should be designed for the unique UK market.
He explained: “Simply importing a DRS from elsewhere will not work. It should also take the required time to design and rollout, to avoid the mistakes made elsewhere and ensure a smooth transition.”
While Alupro has said it isn’t against the introduction of a DRS per se, it has repeatedly gone on record against a flat fee, which mean multipacks of cans face significant deposits compared with plastic bottles.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Packaging
