The research released by Nature 2030 and Keep Wales Tidy comes as Labour environment minister Mary Creagh indicated she would stick with Conservative proposals to exclude glass from the Deposit Return Schemes in England and Northern Ireland.
In a parliamentary written answer to Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke, Minister Creagh said:
“The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers across all four nations will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3 litres. In England and Northern Ireland, materials included in DRS are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, and aluminium drink containers. Glass will not be in scope of the scheme.”
The decision will keep England and Northern Ireland out of step with proposals from the Welsh and Scottish governments.
It also pre-empts DEFRA’s ‘rapid review’ of the previous government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, which includes proposals for a deposit return scheme.
The research also highlights that more than two million pieces of litter are dropped every day in the UK, costing taxpayers some £1 billion to clean up annually.
There are 56 deposit return schemes around the world and 49 include glass. Those without have a separate returnable system for glass in place.
It was widely hoped that Labour ministers would follow the approach taken across much of Europe, by including glass bottles within England’s scheme, paving the way for a consistent approach across the United Kingdom.
Dominic Dyer, Chair of Nature 2030, said:
“There is strong public demand for Labour to U-turn on this absurd Conservative position of excluding glass from England and Northern Ireland’s deposit return scheme.
“And there is still time for the government to change tack as part of the ‘rapid review’ they are undertaking of the previous administration’s whole Environmental Improvement Plan.
“There is not much point in that review if ministers stick to ‘business as usual’ which for too long has lacked ambition and given in to special interests rather than putting the planet first.”
Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, said:
"The deposit return scheme creates an important opportunity to strengthen safeguards for the environment while supporting the UK's journey to net zero.
"The current approach of ministers is limited in ambition, and a scheme which excludes glass bottles will only hamper our efforts to achieve recycling rates in line with the rest of Europe."
Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said:
“Creating an ambitious and glass-inclusive deposit return scheme is vital for protecting both people and the planet.
“The Welsh Government's proposals, which include glass, offer a ready-to-go blueprint for the rest of the UK, enabling us to meet the clear calls from the public to ensure we have maximum possible protections for the environment.
“Ministers should carefully consider how they will ensure adequate levels of protection are achieved in the absence of a wide-ranging deposit return scheme like we see across much of Europe.”