As the world heats up, Oldham Liberal Democrats want to encourage residents to recycle more cans and bottles to help our planet, make our borough cleaner and greener, and earn themselves some money through a local deposit return scheme.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, has written to the Leader of Oldham Council suggesting we work to establish such a scheme for Oldham and across the Greater Manchester city-region.

Deposit return, or reversed vending machines are used by customers to return drink cans, glass bottles, and plastic containers for recycling and they are rewarded with a small payment or a voucher to use against shopping purchases.  In Europe, such schemes have been in place for decades, and it is routine for consumers to pay a deposit on recyclable containers that is reimbursed when that container is returned to the retailer.

“We desperately need the British Government to introduce such a scheme across the UK now, instead of recently postponing the start up in England, Wales and Northern Ireland yet again by one more year to 2024.  But this national failure of leadership does not mean that we cannot do anything in Oldham and across Greater Manchester,” said Councillor Sykes. 

“I believe that we can trail some pilot schemes in our city region, working in partnership with the supermarket chains.  The results would be less rubbish on the street, more recycling, more cash in people’s pockets, and we may well see a new cottage industry where enterprising individuals also go out and collect tins and bottles from our streets for the remuneration!”