Dear constituent,

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

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.

As you will know, the Government held a consultation in 2019 and stated that it was minded to introduce a DRS from 2023. However, it recently launched a further consultation, which closed on 4 June 2021, to explore the continued appetite for a scheme, stating that the introduction of a DRS would be in late 2024 at the earliest.

I share concerns about persistent delays to the introduction of a DRS and believe that the public would like to see this introduced more quickly.

More widely, I believe 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 will have devastating effects on future generations.

I also supported Opposition amendments to the Environment Bill to permit potential charges on any single-use material, not just plastic. I am concerned that focusing only on plastics risks shifting the environmental burden, as the deeper problem lies with the single-use, throwaway culture. Unfortunately, this amendment was voted down, but the Opposition will continue to raise these important points throughout the remainder of the Bill’s parliamentary journey.

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

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue. I can assure you I will continue to call for action on these important matters.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd