Drinks litter on beaches falls by 54% in areas with DRS

This analysis is made up of International Coastal Cleanup data from over 80 countries. Reloop’s new report, ‘Littered with evidence’, found that, on average, the proportion of drinks items in the litter stream was 54% lower by count in areas with a deposit return scheme.

Among European nations which have implemented the policy, plastic bottles accounted for an average of just 0.5% of total litter by count in 2023, compared to 3.2% for those without a scheme.

The global analysis also finds that litter levels across a range of container types were significantly lower in areas with deposit return compared to those without:

• Plastic beverage bottles were 63% lower
• Beverage cans 40% lower
• Glass bottles were 41% lower

The report references the improvements recorded in the Republic of Ireland since the introduction of its DRS in February 2024. A national litter survey conducted in June 2024 found a 30% reduction in drinks can litter and a 20% drop in plastic bottle litter.

Coastwatch Ireland’s annual marine litter survey is said to have recorded the lowest bottle and can counts in 25 years, with bottles per kilometre declining from a peak of 100 in 2010 to below eight in 2024.

The deposit return scheme is set to launch in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027. Countries already operating a DRS, such as Germany, Norway and Finland, have plastic bottle recycling rates of over 90%, while bottle recycling rates in the UK currently sit at around 70%.

The relationship between DRS and drinks litter

Sarah Horner, UK and Ireland director at Reloop, said: “This new global analysis provides clear and compelling evidence that well-designed deposit return schemes can play a vital role in reducing plastic pollution at source by helping to keep plastic bottles from reaching our seas.”

Catherine Gemmell, policy and advocacy manager at the Marine Conservation Society said: “We know that deposit return schemes work in tackling litter. The scheme stops items like bottles and cans ending up in our seas and posing a threat to precious marine life like seals and seabirds. Reloop’s new report provides one of the most comprehensive international analyses to date, confirming the relationship between deposit return schemes and drinks litter.”