The Queen Announces that Ministers WILL introduce a 1960s-style deposit return scheme with reverse vending

With the government busy in recent times with Brexit, Covid and other pressing issues, the subject of DRS (Deposit Returns Scheme) for England has taken a back seat.

However, ministers today have confirmed that the long awaited deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and metal containers is coming, as part of a wider push to revolutionise the way that we recycle.

The issue was even raised in the Queens speech. The scheme which involves a small extra ‘deposit’ being added to drinks harks back to the deposit return schemes of old. In the modern day this could equate to around 20 pence extra for drinks in bottles or cans.  

This charge will be added to the price of certain products and the money then returned to the consumer on the return of the empty container. 

This is not the first scheme of this kind, with for example Scotland aiming to go live with it’s scheme in 2022. 

The Government is hoping that DRS will increase recycling levels and also provide for ‘more effective litter enforcement’. Watch this space for information as it is decided including when businesses need to start looking at solutions to ensure they are complaint.

Read more in the Daily Mail here.