Petition · past parliament
Introduce a nationwide deposit return system for plastic bottles in the UK
Closed
796 signatures
What the petition asks
We call for the UK-wide introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks bottles and cans. While Scotland is planning such a scheme, the rest of the country must not fall behind. Given the near-ubiquitous plastic pollution of oceans and land environments, urgent action is required by the whole UK.
Worldwide, 8 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the oceans annually, where it fragments into ever-smaller particles. According to scientific studies, it can now be found in the guts of 90% of seabirds, in 1/3 of UK-caught fish, and even in tap water. Urgent action is needed. Of the 35 million plastic bottles discarded daily by British households, almost half do not get recycled. Many countries already have deposit return schemes. In the German one, over 97% of PET plastic bottles get recycled.
Timeline
| 15 Sep 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 15 Mar 2018 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
796
Status
Closed
Opened
15 Sep 2017
Closed
15 Mar 2018
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.