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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of a deposit return scheme on the size of local authority household recycling collections; and if he will make a statement.

The effect of a deposit return scheme (DRS) on household recycling collections is set out on page 32 of the DRS impact assessment: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/introducing-a-deposit-return-scheme/supporting_documents/depositreturnconsultia.pdf

The Department has recently consulted on introducing a DRS. This closed on May 13, and the Impact Assessment will be updated in due course to reflect any new evidence received.