Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday February 07 2018, @04:40PM   Printer-friendly
from the an-ATM-in-reverse dept.

UK 'could adopt Norway recycling system'

A Scandinavian system for recycling bottles is thought likely to be adopted in the UK. Advisers to government say the schemes have massively reduced plastic litter in the environment and seas. And a ministerial delegation has been to Norway to see if the UK should copy an industry-led scheme that recycles 98% of bottles. In the UK, figures show that only around half of all plastic bottles get recycled.

Norway claims to offer the most cost-efficient way of tackling plastic litter. The Norwegian government decided the best method would be to put a tax on every bottle that's not recycled - then leave the operating details of the scheme up to business.

It works like this: the consumer pays a deposit on every bottle, from 10p to 25p depending on size. They return it empty and post it into a machine which reads the barcode and produces a coupon for the deposit. If the careless consumer has left liquid in the bottle, the machine eats it anyway - but hands the deposit to the shopkeeper who'll need to empty the bottle.

Similar schemes are in operation in other Nordic nations, Germany, and some states in the US and Canada.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 07 2018, @07:50PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 07 2018, @07:50PM (#634520)

    The machines can be good, no surprise there. Where I live (pop 100k) we have those machines in every supermarket, usually more than one. All that is required of you is you put the items bottom first, which is kinda silly. But the machines are fast and scan very well. I think they should increase the deposit to increase return rates. Or maybe come up with another scheme without deposit but where instead you would be fined for not returning the items.