Michael Gove may follow the European Example and go further with the glass and plastic packaging scheme! Watch this space.
Michael Gove’s plan to reimburse people money for recycling plastic bottles and cans is coming under fire.
Following a consultation on whether to focus only on small drink cartons the current plan is receiving harsh criticism.
On Monday the environment secretary confirmed that he will go ahead with the controversial ‘deposit & return’ scheme. The scheme covers glass and plastic bottles as well as a plastic packaging tax.
However during the consultation it was revealed that the program may only cover drinks less than 750ml that are to be consumed ‘on the go’.
This limited coverage would include soft drink cans as well as the many water bottles that people tend to buy when out and about.
It would not included the larger bulk packaging for liquids that we purchase in larger stores.
Follow the Europeans!
Environmental Organisations however have suggested an alternative. That is to follow the European example and include all glass and plastic packaging as well as cans, regardless of size.
In some European countries this has led to a surge in this king of recycling!
Take Sweden for example. Here citizens put down a deposit of 8p which they get back when an empty drink container is returned to depository.
Some countries operate without the deposit process where by they just return any plastic or glass container to get a cash payout.
Michael Gove also wants to introduce a tax on both the production & import of plastic packaging that contains under 30% of recycled material.
He hasn’t stated where any of the potential revenues raised will go! Will it be a good cause? Retailers who raise money from the plastic bag levy already deposit this to designated charities.
Gove is pursuing a worthwhile cause. He says he want to get away from the throwaway culture which is plaguing the planet at the moment.
He has also said that with the introduction of the plans we will create in Britain a world leading tax on plastic packaging. One that makes packaging companies in the UK foot the bill for packaging waste and draw a clear line between this & household recycling.
In order to become a world leader Britain and Mr Gove will need to focus on resource efficiency and adoption as priority to make sure this scheme and any like it is effective.
A Step Towards Fighting Plastic Pollution
There's exciting news about a Recycling Scheme for plastic bottles in England. This scheme has been eagerly anticipated, and it's a big step in the fight against plastic pollution, coming five years after the commitment made by Michael Gove.
Ministers Poised for Approval
According to reports from the Grocer magazine, government ministers are getting ready to give the green light to the Recycling Scheme. However, there's a catch. The scheme won't cover glass, and this has caused concerns among environmental advocates, as it goes against a promise made in a political manifesto.
Disappointment from Advocates
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), a group dedicated to battling plastic pollution through recycling, expressed their disappointment. They feel that the delay in announcing the Recycling Scheme is a missed opportunity.
Criticism for Excluding Glass
SAS has also criticised the government for going back on its 2019 promise to include glass in the Recycling Scheme. They argue that glass is one of the most harmful materials for the environment. This decision is different from what Scotland and Wales are doing, making it harder to create a single recycling system for the whole UK.
The Long Wait for the Recycling Scheme
The Recycling Scheme won't be happening until 2024, which is six years after the government first talked about it. SAS is not happy about this delay because they believe it could lead to an extra 16 billion containers polluting the environment. They want the government to be more ambitious.
An Official Announcement on the Way
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs is about to make an official announcement regarding the Recycling Scheme.
What the Recycling Scheme Is About
The Recycling Scheme was first introduced by Michael Gove in 2018. It's a plan to deal with the big problem of litter on the land and in the sea. The idea is to give a little bit of money back to people who recycle their bottles and cans. The government also promised in their 2019 manifesto that they'd create a Recycling Scheme to encourage people to recycle both plastic and glass. The plan got a lot of support from the public when it was first talked about.
In the UK, people use a huge 13 billion plastic beverage bottles every year. Shockingly, only 7.5 billion of them get recycled. The rest either end up in landfills, on the ground as litter, or they're burned.
Scotland's Different Approach
Scotland is doing things differently. They're starting their Recycling Scheme in August, and it will include glass, plastic, and cans. When people buy a drink in a single-use bottle made of PET plastic, steel, aluminum, or glass, they'll pay a 20p deposit. They can get this money back by returning the empty bottle to one of the many return points.
A Plea to Include Glass
Campaigners want the English government to change their minds about not including glass in the Recycling Scheme. Sian Sutherland, who co-founded A Plastic Planet, thinks that not including glass bottles might make people less likely to recycle them.
There's a big need for a Recycling Scheme that includes all types of containers across all four UK nations. This would help reduce our use of natural resources and address the problem of low glass recycling rates. Making this change is very important to avoid messing up the market and causing more harm to the environment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Recycling Scheme for plastic bottles in England represents a significant step in the fight against plastic pollution. While there have been delays and concerns, there is still a chance to make a real difference.
