Iceland and Co-op back bottle return scheme

Welsh-based supermarket chain Iceland has joined the Co-op in backing a UKwide bottle deposit return scheme to help tackle ocean plastic pollution, in a move welcomed by environmentalists.

Responding to a Greenpeace survey of supermarkets’ views on such a system, which would add a cost to the purchase of drinks bottles that customers get back when they return the container, both expressed support for the move.

It comes as figures show litter on beaches targeted in a national cleanup rose by 10% this year, with a fifth of the rubbish made up of “on-thego” food and drinks items such as cups, foil wrappers and bottles.

On average, 138 pieces of food and drink waste were found for every 100 metres of beach, with items picked up in the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean ranging from plastic cutlery and straws to sandwich packaging and lolly sticks.

Greenpeace, which wants a bottle deposit return scheme to reduce plastic pollution in the seas where it is harming wildlife and entering the food chain, urged other retailers to follow suit.

But concerns have been raised about how such a programme could work, including potentially removing valuable recyclable materials from council-run household collections or distorting the market with a switch to other less recyclable containers.

Richard Walker, director for sustainability at Iceland Foods, said Britain was failing to recycle up to 16 million single use plastic bottles every day. “This cannot carry on,” he said. “It is causing untold damage to our oceans and wildlife. It is also a ticking time bomb for humanity, since we all ultimately depend on a healthy ocean environment for our own survival.”

Jo Whitfield, retail chief executive, Co-op, said: “We are committed to ensuring all of our own packaging will be recyclable and we are firm supporters of initiatives designed to boost recycling levels,” she said.

“We look forward to working with others, including government, local authorities, manufacturers and other retailers, to help design a scheme that delivers in all these areas.”

Greenpeace campaigner Louise Edge said: “Iceland and Co-op have shown some vision and set the standard, now it’s time for other companies to follow suit and start publicly backing deposit return schemes.”