An 'all-in' deposit return system for drinks containers could make £2bn for UK economy, says charity

Two billion pounds could be generated through the use of an ‘all-in’ deposit return system for drinks cans and bottles, an assessment carried out by the Government has revealed.

Highlighted by countryside charity Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the analysis demonstrates that the ‘all-in’ scheme – which applies to drinks cans and bottles of all sizes and materials (including plastic and glass) – would benefit the UK economy far more over the next ten years than the other system proposed by DEFRA (the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs).

The ‘on-the-go’ alternative – which only applies to drinks containers of 750ml max – would generate just £250 million, the assessment indicates.

Recycling drinks containers through deposit schemes could increase the recycling rate of cans and bottles by over 90%, CPRE say.

This, in turn, would deliver substantial savings to the Treasury, local councils and tax payers, as less would be spent on waste sent to landfill and cleaning up consequential litter. It also produces less air and water pollution, and through recycling, carbon emissions are reduced as well.

Deposit schemes are also paid for by the packaging and drinks producers direct, further lightening the financial load on councils and tax payers.

CPRE are urging the government to adopt the ‘all-in’ scheme, which they say is not just more economically viable but generally more effective. The on-the-go system omits litre bottles and other larger sized vessels – as well as multipack drinks containers, even those falling beneath the 750ml limit – which, CPRE argue, makes it more complicated for customers to use and therefore renders it automatically less beneficial for the environment.

“This is yet more evidence of the positive impact that a deposit return system will have on the whole of society,” Maddy Haughton-Boakes, Litter Campaigner at CPRE, said of the issue. “Taking us towards a circular economy, we will recycle almost all of the drinks cans and bottles we consume, slow down the depletion of scarce resources and reduce carbon emissions, all of which will have a lasting positive impact for our countryside and environment.

“And if that wasn’t good enough, [the all-in] solution will generate billions of pounds for our economy. The government has an opportunity to ensure England gets the most effective and economically viable deposit system in the world.

“A failure to ensure that all drinks containers – of all sizes and materials – are included in the scheme would be a clear sign that they were putting the profits of vested interests above the benefits to society, the economy, our countryside and environment.”

The Government is expected to make a decision on which scheme to adopt later this summer.