Mar 10 2011

Recycled idea could net £432 million for charities and Big Society

New research commissioned by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) shows that a drinks container deposit refund scheme (DRS) has the potential to raise upwards of £432 million each year for local charities and Big Society initiatives.

A survey by Ipsos MORI found 12 per cent of British adults say they would always donate recovered deposits to a local charity, when given the option to do so. A further two thirds (66 per cent) said they would donate their deposit most or some of the time, meaning the yearly windfall for charities could be even greater.

Samantha Harding, CPRE Stop the Drop Campaign Manager, said: “Sometimes the best ideas are old ideas. By introducing a modern deposit scheme, we could boost income for local charities, and save money by reducing litter and increasing recycling. We know it works in other countries and our research suggests many people would support a UK scheme.”

The research shows that public support for a DRS is strong, with more than half (53 per cent) supportive of a 15p deposit on 500ml drinks containers (30 per cent are opposed). This support rises to six in 10 people (60 per cent) for a scheme with a 10p deposit (24 per cent opposed).

The scheme would work by including a small deposit of between 10p and 30p on the cost of drinks containers. This deposit is then refunded to consumers when they return the container to a retailer or other collection point. At this stage the customer could be offered the opportunity to donate their deposit to a local charity or community group.

A CPRE report published last year showed that such a scheme, already in place across large parts of Europe, the US and Australia, could be set up at a relatively low cost (£84 million) and has the potential to achieve substantial reductions in drink-related litter. The scheme would also dramatically increase recycling rates of drinks containers – international experience suggests up to 90 per cent could be recycled.

Samantha Harding continued: “A deposit scheme has the potential to deliver huge benefits for society and can run alongside existing recycling systems. At a time when the Government is cutting spending and promoting the Big Society, implementing a scheme that would save money on street cleaning costs, boost recycling rates, reduce unsightly litter and promote charitable giving seems like a sensible choice. Why wouldn’t we want to enjoy these benefits?”

The Government is currently carrying out a review of its waste policy in England which is expected to be published in May. CPRE has supplied ministers and officials with its research and over 3000 members of the public have also made submissions in support of a UK DRS.

http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/analysis/general-analysis/122017-recycled-idea-could-net-%C3%82432-million-for-charities-and-big-society.html