Retailers urge rethink over recycling scheme
RETAILERS have urged the Welsh Government to think again about a new Uk-wide recycling scheme.
All four UK nations have been working on a joint plan and there have been two public consultations about a deposit return scheme (DRS) – in which people will be given cash or vouchers for returning empty containers which can be recycled.
The UK Government has now announced it will not be operational until October 2027, two years later than planned. However, the Welsh Government will include glass in its scheme, something the other nations have decided against.
Retailers fear including glass will impact the drinks industry and increase storage and handling costs. The Scottish Government wanted to include glass but the UK Government blocked this using post-brexit legislation called the Internal Market Act.
UK environment minister Robbie Moore said including glass would be problematic for the drinks industry and increase storage and handling costs for retailers.
“Glass containers are heavy and fragile, making them more difficult for consumers to return and receive the deposit they have paid, potentially forcing up the cost of their shopping,” he said. He said conversations with the Welsh Government will continue.
Thursday’s announcement has caused anger among retailers.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “We are disappointed by the decision by the Welsh Government to keep glass in the scheme, adding significant costs and putting it at odds with the systems in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“It is vital that the DRS scheme is aligned as far as possible across the UK to keep business costs down and maximise the benefit for consumers, while allowing clear messaging across the whole of the UK about how the scheme will function.”
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “We welcome this clarification from the government on the introduction of DRS. It’s essential that the scheme is given every opportunity to succeed, which involves as much alignment as possible between UK nations, the strategic mapping of sustainable return points, and the creation of the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO).
“We will continue to work with our members on how they can engage with the scheme.”
He called on the Welsh Government to exclude glass from the scheme.
“Given the new time-scales for the introduction of the scheme, we now have more capacity to get the details right. We urge the Welsh Government to align its scheme with the rest of the UK and exclude glass.”
Welsh rural affairs and climate change minister Huw Irranca-davies said: “International evidence shows that a DRS is an extremely effective way to capture drinks containers so that they are not wasted and can go back into the economy. By doing so, not only is it effective in tackling emissions and dramatically reducing litter, but it also reduces the need to extract raw materials and the damage that can cause, supports reuse and the recycling of materials and reduces the energy needed in manufacturing.”
“The Welsh Government has been consistent throughout, and our position has not changed – and remains consistent with the position we consulted on jointly with the UK Government, to which an overwhelming number of respondents (86%) supported the inclusion of glass.
“It also remains consistent with the final scheme design, agreed and published jointly with the UK Government following the consultation and is consistent with the Scottish Government’s preferred approach.
“I note with regret that the UK Government
has not responded to industry calls for consistency in the materials covered by reevaluating its decision to diverge away from the previously agreed common approach.
“We respect, however, that in this devolved area it is a matter for the UK Government to determine what form of DRS works best for England; just as it is our responsibility to determine the form of DRS for Wales.”
The scheme will mean that containers between 150ml and 3l in size will be included. If there are less than 5,000 units of a product produced, it can be classed as a low-volume product and excluded from the scheme.
This is designed for those who sell items at farm shops or markets, for example. Retailers who are part of the scheme, deposit management organisations, will have to take containers from anywhere in the UK.
Supermarkets and convenience stores will have to act as return points from day one across the UK. These must register as a return point.