Used worldwide, Deposit Return Schemes are an effective way for your business to take more heed of their sustainability position when it comes to packaging. When it comes to understanding your carbon footprint, it is important to consider what can be done to minimise and improve this. The buzz word of 2019/2020 seems to be ‘eco-friendly’ and consumers continue to demand more innovative and successful solutions from the businesses they buy from. In this blog, you’ll learn more about Deposit Return Schemes and how they can benefit your business.
What is a Deposit Return Scheme?
Firstly, it is important to understand that Deposit Return Schemes are relevant to drinks manufacturing companies. They provide a blueprint for worldwide recycling, making it easier for consumers to recycle bottles and cans after use. Originally launched in Scotland as the first point here in the UK, they are an effective way of diverting resources away from waste sites and towards more eco-friendly needs. In a nutshell, these schemes help to save on carbon waste, minimise your consumers impact on climate change and significantly minimise litter.
How does it work?
The Deposit Return Scheme generally applied to PET plastic bottles, glass bottles and steel/aluminium drinks cans. When a consumer purchases a drink in one of these packaging options, there will be an additional 20p ‘deposit’ included in the price. When the consumer returns the empty bottle or can to a registered store, they will have this deposit ‘refunded’ to them. It provides a financial incentive to recycle, which has been shown to significantly improve collection and recycling rates. There is also a push to keep drinks containers separate from other forms of household recycling which reduces contamination and allows for a higher level of usable materials. Plastic bottles can be made into other bottles, again and again, reducing the ‘recycling loop’ and ensuring the material is not downgraded into something that cannot be recycled again in the future.
Who can get involved?
Many UK retailers are involved in Deposit Return Schemes, whether this is on a permanent or trial basis. The idea is that heightened traffic can only improve sales for brick and mortar businesses while allowing them to make a mark on the improvement of recycling as a nation. As a supplier, you can support these notions by opting for recyclable materials in packaging as much and wherever is realistically possible.
For more information about Deposit Return Schemes, read this article from The Telegraph or get in touch with your bottle manufacturer today.
