British shoppers could be paid up to 6p for every plastic, metal and glass bottle they return to shops under government plans to boost recycling.
The suggestion was made by Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, yesterday at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
According to the BBC, Gove explained how he’s consulting on how to implement a deposit return scheme and hopes to implement a so-called ‘reward and return’ scheme.
The scheme would allow shoppers to claim back up to 6p on the original price of their beverage, as and when they return the bottle to the store from which it was purchased.
However, some fear the implementation will result in the hiking of drinks prices, with the reward for recycling simply being added onto the retail value.
In Australia and Denmark, where such schemes exist, up to nine in ten bottles are recycled – currently in Britain, only half of our bottles are recycled.
Gove unveiled the plan to delegates in Manchester, promising the scheme would help tackle ocean pollution, with more than 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped in the world’s seas each year.
He said:
We are looking to go further to reduce plastic waste by working with industry to see how we could introduce a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles.
Our oceans are our planet’s greatest natural resource and this government is determined to ensure we restore them to health for the next generation.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola increased its production of throwaway plastic bottles last year by well over a billion, according to analysis by Greenpeace which was released this week.
Designers and small businesses, such as Chilly’s Bottles, have started designing reusable water bottles which help to combat the waste.
You can watch what they do in the UNILAD video below:
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Although Gove’s proposed scheme may mean a little extra money is taken and given back to your bank account each month, it hardly seems too much to help the environment recover and thrive.
Let’s hope we can work together against the tirade to save our oceans.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.