Michael Gove's commitment to introduce a deposit return system
Campaign to Protect Rural England
1 min read
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) responds to comments made today by the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, stating that he supports an 'all-in' deposit return system for drinks containers of all sizes and materials.
Maddy Haughton-Boakes, Litter Campaigner at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said:
'We welcome Michael Gove's support for an "all-in" deposit return system that would halt the environmental damage caused by the tens of billions of plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans consumed every year in the UK. This is the strongest signal yet of the government's intention to transform the way that we deal with the waste created by drinks containers, preventing them from choking our countryside, streets, rivers and oceans. These comments are another step forward from the government's work to meet the ambitious targets laid out in its Resources and Waste Strategy.
'As well as boosting recycling rates to more than 90%, a deposit return system will ensure that the polluter pays. This means that those who produce the packaging, or those who fail to recycle the packaging, rightly foot the bill for clearing it up. This will relieve cash-strapped local councils and us as taxpayers from this huge financial burden. We look forward to seeing these warm words turned into a formal commitment from the government.'
