Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about plastic pollution and deposit return schemes (DRS).

I support an all-in deposit return scheme for drinks containers of all sizes and materials. They achieve the best recycling return and are the clearest system for members of the public to use. I believe that without buy-in from the public, we are unlikely to achieve the sort of change and progress that our planet desperately needs. I further believe that an all-in scheme is the most likely to offer opportunities for scaling up to a refill system in future.

I share concerns about persistent delays to the introduction of a deposit return scheme and believe that the public would like to see this introduced more quickly.  However Government communications indicate that the introduction of a DRS would be in late 2024 at the earliest

More widely, there can be no question that the plastic industry has become unsustainable. In 1950, we produced 1.7 million tonnes of plastic a year. Today, we produce a staggering 350 million tonnes. Recent research found at least 14 million tonnes of plastic pieces less than 5mm wide are likely to be sitting at the bottom of the world’s oceans. Unless we move rapidly to a more circular economy this is going to have devastating effects on future generations.

The ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds that came in last year will not tackle the fundamental crisis at the centre of our throwaway culture.

I believe that the collective task of tackling waste, improving recycling rates and taking the steps needed to protect our environment and our planet is one that we must do together.

I can assure you I will continue to call for action on these important matters.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP