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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.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday February 07 2018, @08:46PM
I can attest to the success of these types of recycling programs. In NYC bottle collectors are a common sight on recycling pick up days. They roam the streets picking up every friggin bottle and can they can salvage. They don't even care if it's full of piss, just empty that fucker out. In a big city full of filthy people, it's an enormous help.
The best example is the water bottle. Before they mandated deposits on water bottles they were all over the streets. You couldn't turn your head and not see a crumpled up water bottle on the ground. It was a real mess. I used to sweep up about 3+ from in front of our building each day and see the CA 10 cent deposit and wondered why NY wasnt following. Then they mandated that water bottles have a deposit in NYC. They disappeared from the streets overnight.