The Leader of the Opposition and of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP supporting a government proposal to introduce a deposit scheme on drinks bottles and cans to encourage returns and so boost recycling.

The Environment Secretary is consulting Councils and environmental groups on the proposals in advance of the possible introduction of such a deposit scheme, whereby consumers deposit empty bottles and cans to ‘reverse’ vending machines located in community venues in order to receive payment of their deposit back.  The consultation ends on 30 October.

Councillor Sykes explained:  “Our beaches, rivers and estuaries are being choked by plastic bottles, cans and food packaging senselessly discarded by inconsiderate consumers.  Our oceans are being slowly suffocated by plastic pollution.  It is not only birds, animals and plant life that suffer though, it is also mankind; for this blight reduces our quality of life and our enjoyment of the natural world.”

“Generally the Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group, of which I am Leader, would be lambasting the Secretary of State for some proposal of his with which we strongly disagree, but on this occasion, I am pleased to say we have been able to write to him with our full support for this proposal, and to express our hope that such a scheme will be introduced soon.”

In Britain only 57% of plastic bottles are recycled.  In Denmark which has a returns scheme it is 90%.

Responding to the disparity in the figures, Councillor Sykes described such a scheme as: “Sensible, practical and efficient, and long overdue.  It is not though as if this is a new idea even in Britain.  I am old enough to remember wagons carrying loads of Ben Shaws’ soft drinks around my community for sale door to door and me taking empties out to the van as a kid to collect the money my parents had paid on the bottles as a deposit.”

Councillor Sykes’ letter to the Secretary of State reads:

Sent: 30 October 2017 12:50
To: Michael.gove.mp@parliament.uk; Correspondence.section@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Cc: Howard Sykes
Subject: Letter to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for the Environment – Bottle Deposit Scheme
Sensitivity: Confidential

Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to you with reference to the current government consultation on the proposal to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks bottles and cans in an attempt to boost recycling (closing date 30 October 2017).

I wish to express to you the complete support of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group for such a proposal; a proposal that is long overdue and that has been proven to work in other countries.

Minister, I am sure that you are aware of the many horrifying photographs that are available on-line of our beaches, rivers and estuaries choked with discarded plastic bottles and other detritus, often other forms of food packaging.  This has a massive negative impact on our wildlife and on our natural environment.  It is not only birds, animals and vegetation that suffers from the suffocation of this unwarranted and unnecessary pollution, but mankind ultimately does too; for this blight has a deleterious impact on the quality of our lives and our enjoyment of the natural world.

It is scandalous that in Britain only 57% of plastic bottles sold in the UK were collected for recycling, when in countries such as Denmark this figure is almost 90%.

And why is there this disparity?  Because Denmark, and other nations with a high level of recycling, operate deposit-marked bottles and cans schemes, whereby these items can be returned by consumers to reverse vending machines and thereby receive the return of their deposit. Sensible, practical and efficient.

Local government will also be a beneficiary of such a scheme. A recent report by Zero Waste Scotland identified that a deposit return system could save Scottish local authorities £13 million annually on litter and waste costs. Minister, I would suggest that this is money that would be far better spent on supporting our hard-pressed, essential local services, such as home care for the elderly.

The world’s biggest soft drinks manufacturer, Coca-Cola, produces 110 billion single-use plastic bottles a year, according to research by Greenpeace.  When this is compounded by the output of the many other myriad drinks and food manufacturers this represents a massive problem, and it is all our problem – for bottles and cans discarded on land find their way to our oceans and are transported around the world.

In the past, marooned sailors would write a message, place it in a bottle and cast the bottle into the sea in the hope of rescue.  Now, Minister, it is the sea that hopes for rescue, rescue from the blight that is plastic pollution, and our message on every bottle and can should be ‘recycle me’.

The Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group urges you to introduce this scheme as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Opposition.  Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Oldham Council.  Member for Shaw Ward.  Member for South Ward Shaw & Crompton Parish Council.  Office: Room 343, Level 3, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UL.  T: 0161 770 4016  F: 0161 770 4026  E: howard.sykes@oldham.gov.uk  W: http://howardsykes.mycouncillor.org.uk Twitter: @Howard_Sykes  Facebook: /Councillor Howard Sykes  Home: 5 Ballard Way, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8DU