4. Lessons from Elsewhere

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 introduced in the early 1990s and has been highly effective in increasing recycling rates. The scheme covers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage containers and has a high deposit amount, incentivising consumers to return their containers.

Finland has a return rate of 97% for its DRS, one of the most successful worldwide. They also focus on reusing - the return rate for reusable bottles in 2023 was 97%, all refilled approximately 33 times. Cans and glass bottles reached a return rate of over 98%. DRS in Finland is supported by the beverage packing tax - by becoming members of the DRS, manufacturers and importers are exempt from this tax. 

France doesn’t yet have a mandatory DRS, but plans are afloat to launch a mixed deposit return system for both single-use and refillable beverage containers. This would limit any advantage that single-use packaging could have in the market against reusable packaging.

Changing regulations on plastics, particularly relating to packaging and waste regulation, mean that the goal posts are constantly shifting. As different countries implement different DRS schemes, it’s up to the UK to see what works and what doesn’t - and we should pick the best one for the environment. 

The UK needs regulations that place responsibility for packaging on producers (such as the EPR - Extended Producer Responsibility - see episode 6 for more information) and an effective DRS that fully addresses the needs and expectations of our society and planet.