Reverse vending machine manufacturer TOMRA supports DRS for all types of cans and bottles

TOMRA said a deposit return scheme (DRS) that only included small beverage containers would majorly stifle the potential of the initiative. TOMRA supported the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) that urged the Government to include drink cans and bottles in DRS.

CPRE data showed that volunteers in the Green Clean collected a total of 11,212 cans and bottles of all shapes, sizes and materials. Of these, 35% were plastic, 50% were aluminium, 14% glass and 1% Tetra Pak.

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Managing director Tomra Collection Solutions UK & Ireland Truls Haug said: “CPRE predicts that the introduction of a DRS will spark a recycling revolution and based on our global experience we agree it has this potential – but we have found that the wider the scope of products included in the DRS, the higher the overall recycling rates.

“There is a school of thought that DRS should be reserved for smaller, on-the-go sized beverage containers but we believe this would majorly stifle the potential of the initiative.

“Imposing too many restrictions also has the potential to cause confusion and inconvenience for consumers. In our experience, the fewer barriers there are in place, the better the potential for success – which could be boosting recycling rates for drinks container waste to more than 90 per cent.

“We hope Scotland and England alike will give serious consideration to the case against the introduction of an on-the-go model before deciding the best way to proceed.”