WASTE RECYCLING
Preparing for Zero Waste Return
By ANDREA FALCO, HSM UK
IT is estimated that UK consumers drink their way through a staggering 14 billion plastic drinks bottles, 9 billion drinks cans and 5 billion glass bottles each year. But as consumption has increased, so too has consumer awareness.
Over the course of the past few years, the approach to recycling and in particular, single use plastic, has drastically changed. Our consumption habits, paired with damning news and industry reports, has helped highlight our recycling and waste pitfalls. Now, as consumers recognise their part in the plastic crisis, businesses and decision makers are feeling the pressure
to improve their green credentials - seeing authorities introduce a host of productive schemes, including the UK’s Plastic Pact and now Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS).
However, the introduction of a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is subject to further data and analysis, with authorities waiting for more information on the costs and benefits of running such a scheme. But with bottle collections and plastic waste in general still a pressing issue, it’s surely now only a matter of time until we see the introduction of DRS across the entire UK and for that, retailers must prepare.
It’s surely now only a matter of time until
we see the introduction of DRS across the entire UK and for that, retailers must prepare.”
30 Andrea Falco of HSM UK A mixed view
From 2022, Scotland’s DRS will see people paying a small deposit of 20p each time they purchase a drink in a single-use container. After consuming that drink they can then collect their initial deposit back by returning the empty plastic or glass bottle (and metal cans), to any local shop or takeaway restaurant.
The Scottish Government has stated they aim to ‘capture 90% of drinks containers sold’ for recycling. And they’re not the first nation to introduce a DRS either. As of 2019, 45 countries around the world have already adopted this system (or something to a similar effect). In fact, countries such as Norway and Australia have been successfully using the system for years now, with proven results being made shortly after rolling it out to the public.
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