In May 2021 it was announced in the Queen’s Speech that Ministers would be introducing a 1960s style deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans. Shoppers could be handed 20 pence for every bottle or can that they recycle under the so-called ‘green revolution’.
The plans, included in the Environment Bill, are part of a broader drive, which should see the way that we recycle as a country completely transformed.
A small charge will be added to the price of products supplied in plastic bottles or cans. The money will then be returned to the customer when they recycle the packaging.
Digital plastic bottle return scheme
Eventually, the Government hopes to use scannable codes on all plastic packaging. Rather than people needing to return the packaging to the retailer, a Digital Deposit Return Scheme (DDRS) would enable shoppers to prove that they have recycled it using either kerbside collection, or a ‘smart bin’.
More effective plastic litter enforcement
The Government is hoping the deposit return scheme, whether digital or otherwise, will not only increase recycling levels, but also provide 'more effective litter enforcement'.
The introduction of Deposit Return Schemes should help to prevent littering of plastic containers and cans. Disposable containers are among the items most frequently found on beaches, in hedges, parks, sewers and other waterways in the UK.
Measom Freer on board with the ‘green revolution’ 
As a leading plastic producer, Measom Freer will never pretend that plastic isn’t a problem for the environment. We are fully committed to minimising the environmental effects of the products that we produce.
Plastic, whilst an obvious environmental concern, has many invaluable uses for UK businesses. There aren’t currently many other alternative products that are as cost-effective and reliable.
We take our role extremely seriously and were therefore delighted to hear this announcement included in the Queen’s Speech.
Recyclable plastic bottles
We encourage all of our customers to recycle our products. All of our PCR bottles, PCR PP caps and a wide range of additional plastic products are 100 percent recyclable. That’s a lot of 20 pences!
Wherever possible we add the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) Recycling Codes to the product to help identify the material used. This helps you to recycle our products in the correct way.
The Government states that the Environment Bill will help to 'preserve our resources by minimising waste, promoting resource efficiency, and moving towards a circular economy'. This is wholly in keeping with our ethos here at Measom Freer, and we enthusiastically welcome the move.
If you’d like samples or details of any of our products, just ask. You can call us on 0116 228 1588, or fill in our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.