Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of a deposit return scheme on glass recycling rates.

Waste is a devolved matter. As part of the Government's ambitious commitments to reforming producer responsibility systems, we have committed to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. A first consultation on the issue was held in 2019 where we consulted jointly with the Welsh Government and on behalf of Northern Ireland.

Officials have been developing proposals for a deposit return scheme for drinks containers using further evidence and ongoing engagement with stakeholders. They have met with the glass industry on several occasions to discuss the inclusion of glass in a DRS. British Glass is also a member of our DRS Industry Working Group and sits on Defra’s Packaging and Collections Working Group which provides input on Defra’s major waste reforms.

We have conducted further cost benefit analysis on the inclusion of glass in a DRS. The interim findings demonstrate that the inclusion of glass in the long term has a higher value than not including glass given the potential for increased collection and recycling rates and the resulting greater reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This will be presented in an Impact Assessment alongside the second consultation.

Our analysis has not included an assessment of market shifts in materials. Further research would be needed to distinguish the effects on consumer purchasing habits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a result of the introduction of a DRS.

The proposed scope of a DRS will be presented in a second consultation in 2021.