Mr Bradshaw said in a written answer to Newport East MP Jessica Morden last week that the impact on UK business from such a scheme could be as high as 7 billion.
” A task force concluded that the costs would be significant, and might be in the region of 1 billion to 7 billion.“
– Ben Bradshaw
He revealed that his Department was now evaluating the findings of a project commissioned last year investigating whether a deposit system could work effectively alongside the existing packaging waste recovery system.
The minister explained that the project had considered existing deposit and return schemes in other parts of Europe, the USA and Canada.
Mr Bradshaw said: “The Government will evaluate the findings including an assessment of the likely cost implications, taking account of the fact that additional costs are likely to be passed on to consumers.”
Germany
One of the highest profile deposit scheme in Europe has been operated in Germany, with consumers able to take empty drinks cans back to the retail outlet where the original product was purchased for a refund of their small deposit. The German scheme was heavily criticised for proving difficult for consumers and expensive for business, with German consumers largely boycotting canned drinks as a result (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Bradshaw said Defra had held discussions with its cross-sector industry group, the Advisory Committee on Packaging, on the possibility of a deposit scheme in the UK.
He said: “A task force concluded that the costs would be significant, and might be in the region of 1 billion to 7 billion, depending on how any such systems were set up.”
The local environment quality minister noted that the Waste & Resources Action Programme is leading a 1.2 million project to pilot new ways of encouraging shoppers to return waste packaging to supermarket collection facilities.
“The project has looked at whether these new approaches, including the use of new technology in bring banks and incentives such as discount vouchers, could help bolster recycling rates and attract new recyclers,” Mr Bradshaw explained.
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