Following the news that the government plans to delay the rollout of a UK-wide deposit return scheme to 2027,

Chris Strong, Managing Consultant and Packaging Analyst Consumer Custom Solutions at GlobalData offers his view:

“We know that a majority of UK consumers are supportive of a deposit return scheme.  According to GlobalData’s UK consumer survey for Q2 2023, 66% of UK consumers would use a deposit return scheme for bottles and containers where they live. However, 34% of UK consumers say that they would not use such a scheme and the reasons they cite are ‘inconvenience’, ‘hygiene’ and ‘low reward’.

“Whilst the delayed implementation of the UK scheme to 2027 is regrettable given the sustainability and environmental benefits it would provide, the Government and other stakeholders should use this time to address these concerns ahead of implementation to ensure that as many people as possible are fully ‘bought-in’ to the scheme and an effective awareness campaign will be a vital part of achieving this aim in the lead up to a new implementation date.”