Can deposit scheme recycling reduce packaging pollution?

Before you guzzle down that cool beverage however, have you stopped to think about the impact of how you dispose of the single-use bottle or can it’s in?

A rising tide of drink packaging waste

In September of last year, during the Great British Beach Clean, volunteers found a stifling 3,300 pieces of litter per kilometre of beach. This is a 34% increase on the amount of litter from the previous year. The Marine Conservation Society found in its recent annual survey that there has been a 43% increase in the number of plastic bottles and a 29% rise in the number of metal drinks cans found on beaches.

The scope of this issue is substantial and the impacts on marine and coastal life irrevocable. Something must be done to increase collection of these drink containers before they become lost waste in our environment. If consumers are not ensuring their bottles and cans are disposed of properly then how can they be incentivised to do so?

It pays to recycle

In the U.K. there once was a time when you could return that bottle or can to a retailer and receive a refund on the deposit you paid for it at the time of purchase. These laws have since been phased out, but many other countries are still implementing them with much success.

The U.S. holds some shining examples of container deposit legislation done correctly. It has “bottle bills” enacted in 10 states and has seen a great increase in the recycling rates in those states as a result. In 2013 the Container Recycling Institute reported a comparison of the recycling rates between states that have deposit laws enacted and those that haven't.

There is a significant difference in the collection rates in states that gives the consumer an incentive to return the container after use, and those that offer no incentive at all. This study notes that if a deposit were placed on all beverage containers in the U.S., an impressive 75% recycling rate would be achieved across the board. This graph from the ‘2013 bottled up report’ clearly illustrates the difference.

 

 Having a container deposit scheme in the U.K. could increase the collection rates of many widely recycled materials. This increase in collections could greatly aid us in meeting the rigorous E.U. recycling targets. Not to mention more recyclable material would flow through the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) market, increasing the supply available to producers. And, of course, the invaluable long-term effects of protecting the ecosystems that surround us. It seems like the obvious route to take, so what’s stopping us?

If you would like to discuss your packaging compliance needs please contact our team of specialists on 0845 094 2228 or email info@ecosurety.com

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