The Department of environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has delayed the scheme until October 2027.
According to Defra, consumers in the UK purchase an estimated 31 billion single-use drinks containers each year – 12 billion plastic drinks bottles, 14 billion drinks cans, and five billion glass bottles.
The survey also revealed that nine in 10 people would use a DRS to return empty beverage containers and 60% of those surveyed believe a single DRS scheme running across the UK would be most effective.
According to the survey, 85% of people say that litter is a problem in their area and 81% have made changes to their lifestyle to contribute to tackling climate change. It also showed that 66% of people are worried about the impact of climate change.
Change
John Lee, vice president public affairs UK and Ireland, Tomra said: “Public opinion and environmental concerns strongly support the deposit return scheme, signalling a widespread demand for action. As we face issues like litter, climate change and sustainability, it’s obvious that we need significant changes now. By working together, we can transform numbers into real solutions and create enduring change.”
‘Concerns’
Mhairi McFarlane, research manager at Diffley Partnership, said: “It is clear that environmental concerns are on the public’s minds, with more than two thirds reporting they are worried about the impact of climate change, and that the vast majority view litter as a problem across the UK. In that context, it is perhaps unsurprising that three quarters of people support a Deposit Return Scheme and 90% would use such a scheme at least sometimes.”
The survey, conducted between 26 March and 2 April 2024, involved interviewing a representative sample of 2,042 respondents aged 18 and above.
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