APRS has joined with manufacturers, retailers and other environmental organisations to write to the Prime Minister to urge him to move forward in delivering a UK-wide deposit return scheme. 31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Dear Prime Minister,   

As a group of environmental organisations, manufacturers and retailers, we would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister. 

We were pleased to see your commitment to “reduce waste by moving to a circular economy” as outlined in your manifesto, building on your party’s long-term commitment to implementing a deposit return scheme. In light of this, we would like to reiterate our unwavering support for the scheme, which has undergone extensive development within Defra. With Secondary Legislation ready to be implemented, it can be a quick and ready win for a government looking to hit the ground running.  

Deposit return schemes have the potential to reduce littering of drinks containers (which make up 75% of litter¹) by up to 85%². More than 40 countries have successfully implemented a deposit return scheme, with the best designed seeing return rates of up to 98% as a result³. The environmental case is clear, and any delay to deposit return means more avoidable damage and waste – each year, nearly 9 billion drinks containers fail to be recycled – ending up in landfill, incineration or as litter⁴.

The economic case for deposit return is clear. It is an industry-funded scheme, meaning that the cost for establishing and running the scheme will be met by drinks producers, not the taxpayer. It will lead to the creation of an estimated 3,000-4,000 green jobs in the collection and sorting of materials⁵. And according to Defra’s own calculations, DRS will deliver a Net Present Value of between £3.58-5.88bn⁶.

Your government has a target of reaching Net Zero by 2050, a target that is supported by 72% of the public⁷. For this to be achieved, stagnant recycling rates will need to rise significantly, and deposit return will provide infrastructure to do just that at no cost to the taxpayer, providing drinks producers with the high quality recyclate they need to increase recycled plastic content in their products.

Deposit return schemes are a highly visible, highly popular intervention on the environment – just 5 years after the implementation in Lithuania it enjoys 98% public support, and a combined survey of 34 international polls showed an 87.5% average level of support for existing deposit return schemes⁸. Recent polling by YouGov show that 69% of the Uk public currently support deposit return⁹. Ireland has also recently introduced a scheme which sees nearly 3 million containers returned daily.¹⁰

We stand ready to offer our full support to your government as it moves forward with its plans to bring in a UK-wide deposit return scheme.

1. LITTER COMPOSITION SURVEY – EQ0121 (defra.gov.uk)
2. Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers moves a step closer – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
3. reloopplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RELOOP_Global_Deposit_Book_11I2022_P1.pdf
4. Public Perceptions of a Deposit Return Scheme | Keep Britain Tidy (figure updated to incorporate 2023 sales data)
5. DRS Factsheet-Jobs-27Jan2021.docx (reloopplatform.org)
6. Impact assessment: Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme on beverage containers (defra.gov.uk)
7. Survey Report (yougov.com)
8. fact-sheet-public-support-for-drs.pdf (reloopplatform.org)
9. Public-opinion-research-on-DRS-May24.pdf (reloopplatform.org)
10. IOM3 | Ireland’s deposit return scheme ramps up

Yours sincerely,

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE CEO, Keep Britain Tidy

Owen Derbyshire CEO, Keep Wales Tidy

Barry Fisher CEO, Keep Scotland Beautiful

Andrew Milne CEO, Nichols plc

Angela Francis Director of Policy Solutions, WWF-UK

Catherine Gunby Executive Director, Fidra

Chris Butler-Stroud CEO, Whale and Dolphin Conservation

David Stockley Managing Director, Brecon Carreg

Dom Ferris CEO, Trash Free Trails

Dusan Stojankic Vice-President of Franchise Operations, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland

Elise Seibold Interim COO, Suntory

Gavin Partington Director General, British Soft Drink Association

Grant McKenzie Managing Director, Nestlé Waters UK

Giles Bristow CEO, Surfers Against Sewage

Jennifer Kelly Head of Sustainability, Chester Zoo

Jenni Hulme Director, Reloop

Jim Bligh Director of Corporate Affairs and Packaging, Food and Drink Federation

Julian Hunt VP of Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Coca-Cola

Karen Whitfield Director, Wales Environment Link

Kat Jones Director, Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland

Kinvara Carey General Manager, Natural Source Waters Association 

Mo Razzaq National President, Federation of Independent Retailers

Natalia Filippociants Vice President, GM PepsiCo Beverages, Great Britain and Ireland

Paul Graham Managing Director, GB Britvic Soft Drinks

Richard Benwell CEO, Wildlife and Countryside Link

Richard Hall Vice President, General Secretary Danone UK & Ireland

Sandy Luk CEO, Marine Conservation Society

Simon Oldham Managing Director, Highland Spring

Will McCallum Executive Director, Greenpeace UK