Pubs should be exempt from deposit scheme costs says BBPA

04-Dec-2017 - Last updated on 11-Jul-2024 at 11:08 GMT

"New costs": The BBPA believes that, on current evidence, a universal deposit scheme would create new and undue pressure on the industry

Related tags Alcoholic beverage

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds has highlighted the pub industry’s good record on recycling in response to a call for evidence by the Department for Environment & Rural Affairs on the subject.

The call will aid a Government consultation on the proliferation return and reward deposit schemes for drinks containers.

Simmonds said: “It is right that the Government should focus on plastic waste from on-the-go consumption. The beer and pub industry contributes a significant amount to the current recycling infrastructure through the PRN (packaging recovery note) system, ensuring a high rate of recycling of glass bottles and cans.

“With 93% of beer sales in pubs from reusable kegs and casks, this also displaces billions of individual containers in each year. A deposit scheme would impose new costs on pubs, which already face big financial pressures. It is important therefore that pubs are exempt from any deposit scheme.”

Still haunted by last night's #BluePlanet2 - the imperative to do more to tackle plastic in our oceans is clear. We @DefraGovUK will work urgently to identify further action.
— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) November 20, 2017

Reducing the amount of plastic waste produced is a hot topic, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond outlining his determination to investigate how the tax system and charges on single-use plastics can help reduce waste during November’s Autumn Budget – citing the popularity of the BBC’s Blue Planet II as he announced both his and Environment Secretary Michael Gove’s plans.

A signatory of the 2025 Courtauld Commitment, the BBPA currently operates Sustain, its own, not-for-profit packaging waste compliance scheme specifically aimed at the drinks industry, and has worked with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and The Industry Council for research on Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) to reduce the amount of waste produced by the hospitality sector.

Every year we dump 8 million tonnes of plastic into our oceans.
Here's how you can help https://t.co/gQRfcR8i4Q #BluePlanet2 pic.twitter.com/CzYDiu7fjG
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) November 19, 2017

The Treasury recently revealed that the amount of plastic wasted every year in the UK would be enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall more than 1,000 times.

As reported by The Morning Advertiser, Gove proposed a deposit scheme for bottles at this year's Conservative Party conference.