During a vote on 21 January, the statutory instrument was supported by 352 MPs, with 75 voting against, paving the way for a DRS to implemented in England and NI from October 2027.
The scheme outlined will see consumers charged a deposit when they purchase a single-use container (made from plastic, steel or aluminium), which they will receive back when they return the container for recycling at a designated point.
The Welsh Government withdrew from the UK-wide scheme in November of last year and will look to introduce its own scheme, while the Scottish Government is expected to adopt a DRS that matches the England and NI model.
It is understood that the Welsh Government hopes to include glass in its DRS, whereas glass will be excluded across the rest of the UK.
Commenting on the decision, parliamentary under-secretary of state for nature Mary Creagh said the inclusion of glass would create “considerable up-front costs”.
Nonetheless, Creagh believes that the scheme will lead to “less litter, less landfill, less harm to our precious wildlife”.
“We really will begin to turn back the plastic tide,” she added.
“By giving people money back on their bottles, we transform their plastic and metal drinks containers from a waste stream to a resource stream.
“It’ll make a positive difference to every single street where we live. Nobody wants to see plastic and cans littering our beaches, rivers and seas, our roads and our parks.
‘Vital legislation’
Emma Bourne, director for resources and waste at Defra, also welcomed the support from MPs for the legislation.
She wrote on LinkedIn: “DRS is on track and will go live on Oct 2027 A very big day, delivered by a brilliant team.”
Meanwhile, the incoming UK and Ireland director at non-profit Reloop, Sarah Horner, thanked MPs for backing a “vital piece of environmental legislation”.
“[MPs] can count on the public’s backing as polling for Reloop has found that 69% favour its implementation,” Horner said.
“Reloop estimates that more than 20 million plastic and glass bottles, and metal cans are wasted in the UK every single day. The impact of this is clear in communities across our country with littered streets, dirty parks and a polluted natural environment. Indeed, rivers, seas and trails are choking with plastic pollution, with much of this composed of drinks litter.”
