RECOUP investigates deposit return scheme opportunities

Deposit return schemes (DRS) are cited as a solution to help reduce litter and drive up collection and recycling rates, with about 90 percent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic drink bottle collection rates reported from a number of schemes, according to a RECOUP report. If a DRS is introduced in the United Kingdom, the collection and recycling of nondrink packaging still needs to be transformed to meet future circular economy ambitions.

This year, U.K.-based RECOUP investigated the structure and operations behind the headlines for the German and Norwegian deposit return schemes. The rate of collection, materials collected, the deposit paid back to consumers and the infrastructure in place have all been explored to allow a comparison between the two schemes. 

The U.K. government recently closed four consultations that aim to meet commitments set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan to accelerate change to how the U.K. funds, structures and manages its waste materials. Information and data are now being collated and developed to shape and structure how a DRS could work in the U.K., RECOUP reports in a news release.

“We are keen to explore what a DRS could mean for the U.K. This led us to produce the case study of the two widely known schemes and to show some of the differences that exist between them,” says Steve Morgan, technical manager at RECOUP. “These are undoubtedly very effective schemes for collecting and recycling drinks containers, but it shouldn’t be lost that drinks as well as nondrinks packaging need to be collected and recycled to meet future circular economy ambitions and the proposed recycling rates set out in the government consultations.”

A DRS will produce high-quality material of postuse drinks containers, RECOUP reports in a news release. However, it should not be seen as the only solution to reach high of plastic packaging collection levels. Should a DRS be implemented in the U.K., it needs to be designed to complement existing and developing collection infrastructure for all postconsumer packaging: curbside, bring, household waste recycling centers (HWRCs) and ‘Away from Home’ collection points, including high footfall locations such as workplaces, transport hubs and ‘on-the-go’ locations.

Additionally, RECOUP’s ‘Deposit Return Schemes in Action’ case study is incorporated into its wider case studies report produced as a supplement to the 2018 RECOUP UK Household Plastics Collection Survey, an annual research report which provides an independent detailed analysis and commentary about the collection of plastics in the U.K.