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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a plastic bottle return scheme on glass packaging use; what his planned timescale is for introducing such a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles; and whether he plans to introduce return schemes for (a) batteries, (b) tyres, (c) electrical equipment and (d) other materials.

The Government committed, in its 2019 manifesto, to introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle drinks containers.

On 24 March we published our second consultation on implementing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. The materials we propose would be in-scope of the scheme are PET plastic containers, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles. Further details of the proposed deposit return scheme are presented in this second consultation.

Timelines have been reviewed to ensure we allow sufficient time for the roll out of a complex policy, and we therefore propose to implement the scheme in 2024, with views on this being taken in the consultation.

Powers from the Environment Bill will give us the option to establish deposit return schemes for other materials in the future and we will continue to consider these as policy options.