Environmental advocacy group Keep Britain Tidy, alongside leading manufacturers, retailers, and non-profits, is urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to implement a deposit return scheme (DRS) without delay.
The coalition highlights the need to tackle the annual loss of 8.6 billion drinks containers through landfill, incineration, or littering.
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Signatories to the initiative include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Suntory, the British Soft Drinks Association, and prominent environmental organisations such as WWF and Surfers Against Sewage.
Together, they call on the UK government to prioritise the scheme. “Every day, more than 20 million drinks containers are ‘lost from the loop’,” said Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE.
“The environmental case of a DRS is clear. The foundations are laid for the policy, and our new government has a fantastic opportunity to bring this to fruition.”
Tackling litter and boosting recycling rates
Research from Reloop, a circular economy non-profit, reveals that over 20 million drinks containers are discarded daily, contributing to widespread environmental damage.
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By GlobalDataKeep Britain Tidy’s own studies show that more than 75% of litter by volume stems from drinks consumption. The proposed DRS could prevent these losses by ensuring packaging is returned for recycling instead of polluting streets, waterways, and landfills.
Ogden-Newton highlighted the economic and environmental benefits:
“A deposit return scheme will provide the high-quality recycling needed to help the UK move towards a long-overdue circular economy for drinks packaging. It will also create up to 4,000 green jobs in material collection and sorting—all funded by industry, not taxpayers.”
The government estimates that a DRS would reduce littering of drinks containers by 85%, a significant step towards achieving the UK’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.
With public support for this target standing at 72%, a DRS offers an actionable pathway to elevate stagnant recycling rates.
International success inspires confidence
Globally, more than 40 countries have successfully implemented deposit return schemes, with top-performing systems achieving return rates of up to 98%.
The UK’s previous government laid extensive groundwork for a DRS through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), positioning the current administration to move swiftly.
“Time is running out,” Ogden-Newton emphasised. “Our message to Sir Keir is clear: the environment cannot wait another day. The UK must seize this opportunity to join the ranks of nations leading the way in sustainable waste management.”
Polling by YouGov confirms broad public backing, with two-thirds of respondents supporting a DRS.
The scheme promises not only to protect the environment but also to establish infrastructure that aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where resources are reused and waste is minimised.
With political will and industry cooperation, a deposit return scheme could transform the future of packaging in the UK, offering cleaner streets, higher recycling rates, and a meaningful step towards sustainability.
