NAWDO press release – Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
[Friday 22nd November 2024]
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Following the announcement by the Welsh Government that it will no longer be a part of the UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), NAWDO is calling for the Government to pause the scheme and instead focus its resources on successfully delivering other important policies such as packaging EPR and Simpler Recycling.
DRS has now caused complications in two of the devolved nations, following the collapse of the Scottish proposals in 2023 and the recent withdrawal by the Welsh Government. Inconsistency in the scope of materials included in the DRS in different parts of the UK creates problems, and a failure to agree a common position is continuing to generate uncertainty throughout the value chain.
NAWDO remains of the view that a DRS should be considered only once the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) and Simpler Recycling regimes have been put in place and allowed to demonstrate their impact across the supply chain and resources sector.
If the DRS remains a part of Government policy, NAWDO insists that the packaging EPR regulations should be amended to ensure that the exclusion for drinks containers only continues to apply in nations which have actually implemented a DRS.
Government must also urgently clarify how the financial impacts of a DRS on local authorities will be addressed, including identifying a common-sense route to accessing unclaimed credits to cover the costs of managing drinks containers that continue to be disposed of through municipal collection and treatment services.
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