Would you recycle more if you got cash back in return? Have your say

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The government is gearing up for a bottle-return scheme which would see Britons receive a refund for recycling their containers.

Legislation paving the way for the deposit return scheme for drinks containers came into force last week ahead of its scheduled launch in October 2027.

The initiative will see the UK emulate countries such as Germany, Sweden and Ireland, where consumers are charged a deposit when buying a plastic, steel or aluminium container - but then get the money back when bring it to a recycling collection point.

This poll has now closed. Come back on Friday to read the results and analysis via the link below.

Should people be paid to recycle? Do you think people will recycle more if paid a small fee? Have your say and your comment may be featured in our results article on Friday.

Where scheme will launch

New laws were introduced to enable the appointment of a body in April to manage the scheme, which ministers hope will reduce litter and protect wildlife across England and Northern Ireland.

Scotland is expected to align its own scheme to match, while Wales pulled out of the plan last year, insisting that glass should be part of the programme.

Environment minister Mary Creagh said: “This government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.

“This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife."

However, the Conservative Party warned that the scheme will push up the price of a weekly shop and damage businesses.

At the weekend, Ireland reported that its deposit return scheme had led to the recycling of more than 980 million containers in its first year, with about 84% of the population taking part.

But the government said such schemes are now operating in more than 50 countries and yield results.

According to the non-profit organisation Reloop, the average return rate among European countries was 90%, with Germany leading the way on 98%.

The government said that in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy about 30 billion single-use drinks containers a year, and that 6.5 billion single-use drinks bottles and cans go to waste rather than being recycled.

Come back on Friday to read the results and analysis via the link below.

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