A Welsh Government initiative will see purchasers of drinks having to return single use containers to shops or lose a deposit.
Announcing the decision today, Climate Change Minister Julie James confirmed that a new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will be introduced by 2025 and will mean a fee being added to single use drink containers and only returned once the empty bottle or can is returned,
In Scotland, a similar DRS scheme is being rolled out later this year (16th August) when all aluminum, plastic and glass drinks containers will see a 20p deposit being added overnight to the price.
That deposit is returned only when the container is returned to special collection points at supermarkets and other shops.
The announcement by the Welsh Government follows recent legislation to ban a number of single use plastics, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, glass, and aluminium.
Julie James MS says: “This is another step forward in moving Wales to a more circular economy where less waste is generated, and resources are reused and recycled rather than ending up in landfill.
“Consultation has shown huge public support for the scheme’s introduction, and we know people in Wales want to play their part in improving our already world-leading recycling rates.
“Wales is the third best country in the world for recycling, but we know we can and need to go further in tackling the waste that affects our cities and towns and blights our countryside and reducing our emissions.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Every year UK consumers go through an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles and nine billion drinks cans, many of which are littered or condemned to landfill.
“International examples show deposit return schemes can successfully improve recycling, with rates above 90% in Germany, Finland and Norway.
“Through the financial incentive provided to consumers to return their single use drinks containers, it is estimated that, after three years of the scheme, 85% fewer drinks containers will be discarded as litter, with a target to collect over 90% of returnable drinks containers once the scheme is up and running.
“The materials captured in the deposit return scheme in Wales will be drinks containers made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, glass, and aluminium.”
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