Will the Minister provide an update on how the Welsh Government is working to ensure the Deposit Return Scheme in Wales is interoperable with similar schemes in England and Northern Ireland?
The quantity and collection costs of food glass containers from households is not expected to vary with the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers.
My officials have been working intensively with their counterparts in the UK Government for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland on the design of the scheme. I also met recently with Robbie Moore MP, the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State who is now responsible for the development of the DRS in England to discuss the interoperability and implementation of the DRS.
This has included work to address the interoperability issues caused by the UK Government’s divergence from the previously consistent UK-wide position on glass. The decision by the UK Government to diverge on material scope resulted in the collapse of the Scottish DRS, this caused real economic and environmental harm in Scotland. The best way of achieving interoperability would be for the UK Government to return to the position that all governments had agreed.
The household recycling rate of 92 per cent does not reflect our total recycling rate as it excludes key areas the DRS is designed to tackle in respect of litter and on-the-go recycling where we still have a lot to do. Glass bottles are commonly littered and can also pose a hazard in public spaces.