As part of a novel initiative to combat plastic waste, UK households will be rewarded for returning empty bottles to their local supermarkets. The government's "clean up Britain" endeavour introduces a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans, offering a financial incentive for individuals to bring back their empty containers. Residents can return their used bottles and cans to collection points situated at supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Sainsbury's for recycling. Upon returning their containers to these points, people will receive payment.
This deposit return scheme, already implemented in over 50 countries, including Germany, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland, aims to boost the recycling of single-use bottles and cans. The UK government reports that approximately 30 billion single-use drinks containers are purchased by consumers in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland annually, comprising 12 billion plastic bottles and 13 billion cans.
However, around 6.5 billion of these containers are wasted rather than recycled each year, contributing to litter. By providing a financial incentive for recycling, the scheme hopes to drastically reduce plastic waste. The programme is set to launch in England and Northern Ireland in October 2027, covering single-use plastic and metal drinks containers ranging from 150ml to three litres.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced that Scotland is making progress with its own regulations, signalling a significant advancement in the rollout of the scheme across the three nations. Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh commented: "This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.
