Please complete the Defra Deposit Return Scheme consultation.
This is so important, this scheme will affect all shops. You will be responsible for collecting all empty bottles which you have delivered to your customers.
We urge you to complete this consultation which can be found on the following link. You will find a link to the online survey on the bottom of the page. The deadline for this consultation is 11.59 today.
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/consultation-on-introducing-a-drs/
If you do not have time to complete all of the questions please complete the necessary; you have to complete 1-5 which are personal details and please complete the following key questions. The answers and comments below are suggestions for you to use.
The key questions in the consultation are:
40. Do you agree that all retailers selling in-scope drinks containers should be obligated to host a return point, whether it is an all-in or on-the-go (OTG) deposit return scheme?
Answer:: No
Comment: There should the ability to opt out because of size, hygiene and in the case of containers for alcohol, faith.
42. Do you have a preference, based on the 3 options described, on what the schemes approach to online takeback obligations should be?
Answer: Option 2
Comment:
Option 1 means restaurants will have to collect a single bottle making it uneconomical for them to sell drinks for home delivery representing a significant loss of revenue. Option 1 also creates potential environmental harms ie collecting a single container eg one can.
Option 2 draws a difference between regular grocery delivery (where households tend to use the same retailer) and meal delivery where households chop and change because we like to eat different cuisines. It is estimated restaurants on average deliver to individual households 4 times a year. Option 2 still means the major bulk of delivered containers is collected as restaurants supply a relatively small percentage of beverage containers in home delivery
45. Please can you provide any evidence on how many small and micro sized retail businesses we might likely expect to apply for an exemption to hosting a return point, on the grounds of either close proximity to another return point or on the compromise of safety considerations?
A large number of restaurants will be forced to apply as the requirement to collect used beverage containers and place in bags on bikes containing hot ready to eat food or in cars with bags of hot ready to eat food have hygiene and safety implications which will be too great to manage.