Don't dilute or delay action to tackle plastic crisis after six wasted years, says CPRE

Commenting on the expected delay of the Deposit Return Scheme, Tom Fyans, campaigns and policy director at CPRE, the countryside charity, said:

‘Despite huge public appetite to tackle the waste crisis, we have mountains of litter piling up in our countryside. New research shows that around 8 billion drinks containers are landfilled, littered or burnt every year. Despite all this, the government looks set to delay a Deposit Return Scheme until the end of 2024 - essentially shirking their responsibility and waiting for a new government to show any leadership on the issue. This amounts to six long years of dither and delay.

‘This delay is so much more than kicking the can down the road – it seems that in the face of industry lobbying, Ministers would prefer to stick their heads in the sand rather than tackle the problem of waste head on.

‘The public want to see action, not just warm words. The evidence is clear that an ‘all-in’ Deposit Return Scheme is the best option for people, planet and our economy, yet the government are showing no leadership on the issue at all. It beggars belief that when the evidence is so clear that an ‘all-in’ deposit system is needed, they are still unwilling to make the polluter pay.'