Green Alliance says that marine litter can be reduced if government imposes bottle deposit scheme.
Green Alliance, a green think tank from the UK, states that the most effective solution to reduce plastic pollution is a container return scheme in Europe, north America, and Australia.
According to the organisation’s analysis, a deposit scheme could seize 95% of littered plastic bottles, which can reduce marine litter by almost a third. The scheme is looking at adding a small tax to recyclable and reusable container at the point of sale, and buyers can them reclaim these upon returning them.
Michael Gove, the new environment secretary, has already made a step forward by promising to address plastic pollution in the ocean and announcing his plan to ban microbeads in cosmetic products. However, for Green Alliance, including the bottle deposit scheme in his plan would be a step further into addressing the issue of waste in the ocean.
“It is depressing to visit a beach that is covered in plastic and downright scary to learn that the seafood you are eating might be contaminated by plastic pollution,” says Dustin Benton, acting policy director of Green Alliance.
“The government should listen, introduce a bottle deposit scheme and enforce rules on sources of industrial waste,” he added.
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