Britvic welcomes the Government’s announcement today that a deposit return scheme will be established across England, Wales and Northern Ireland in October 2025.
In response to its March 2021 consultation, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations committed to introducing deposit return schemes for all PET plastic bottles and metal cans, with Wales choosing to include glass containers – like the scheme set to go live in Scotland this August.
A deposit management organisation will be appointed in Summer 2024, and will be independent, industry-led, and funded by the sale of collected materials, producer fees and unredeemed deposits. It will be tasked with delivering a scheme that achieves a 90% return rate for drinks containers within three years, and setting an appropriate deposit level.
Commenting on the news, Britvic’s Director of Sustainability Sarah Webster says: “We have long been supporters of a well-designed deposit return scheme. We believe it is an effective way of increasing collection and recycling rates to deliver a steady source of uncontaminated, food-grade used packaging which can be re-used multiple times. This is essential if we are to establish a truly circular economy for packaging and ensure it never becomes waste. Today’s announcement is a positive step in the right direction, and we will continue to work closely with our industry partners and UK Governments to deliver this goal as soon as possible.”
