The UK’s recycling rates are around 70% lower than in leading Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) countries with return rates exceeding 90% such as Germany, Finland and Norway. Financially incentivising recycling and reducing waste is important, but our end goal must be a reuse, not throwaway, economy. A DRS that includes glass is key. Glass is infinitely recyclable (although currently energy intensive). Inclusion of glass, as seen in Wales’ proposed model, helps improve resource re

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is an environmental policy that will tackle litter and pollution, reducing the environmental impacts of plastics and leading us towards a circular economy. Whilst the UK’s plans are still faltering, other countries are showing us how it’s done. Germany has an impressive 98% return rate for drinks containers! Consumers can return a wide range of containers, including plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles for financial reward. Norway’s DRS was

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is an important step towards reducing litter and waste, but real progress means moving away from single-use packaging entirely. There are different types of DRS, some focusing on recycling single-use items, whilst others, particularly for glass, promote reuse. The idea behind DRS in the UK is to incentivise consumers to recycle drinks containers, but focusing on a reuse system is a better option. Recycling plastic doesn’t always work. When it

Solving the plastics crisis isn’t simple. Instead of focusing on recycling, research tells us that we need to think more broadly by looking at strategies like re-use. If we can embrace this concept globally, we have the opportunity to truly cut plastic pollution. Single-use plastics are the biggest culprit behind plastic pollution, making up around 50% of plastic produced. Often touted as recyclable, only about 5% of plastic is actually recycled in the US. A recent analysis o

We’ve just heard about a new recycling scheme, very similar to a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), operating in three Suffolk towns. This...

The huge glass packaging industry could make a big impact in the transition to sustainable packaging systems. Glass packaging is a major...

One might think that Coca-Cola’s slogan 'A World without Waste' represents a truly green company trying hard to cut pollution,...