Study: Plastic bottle beach litter 'significantly' lower in nations with deposit return schemes

Michael Holder
clock • 3 min read
Credit: iStock
Image:

Credit: iStock

Used plastic, glass, and canned drinks containers are found on beaches in far lower proportions in countries where recycling deposit return schemes are in operation

Empty drinks bottles and cans are littered on beaches in far lower numbers in countries where deposit return schemes (DRS) are in place to encourage the collection and recycling of used containers, according...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Policy

Burnham reveals plan to scrap standing charges on UK gas bills

Burnham reveals plan to scrap standing charges on UK gas bills

Experts claim proposal could boost savings on offer from switching to heat pumps

James Murray
clock 21 October 2026 • 4 min read
The cooling blind spot: Why the UK must prioritise a national cooling action plan

The cooling blind spot: Why the UK must prioritise a national cooling action plan

Extreme heat is here to stay, which makes the continued absence of a UK National Cooling Action Plan difficult to justify, writes Clare Perry from the Environmental Investigation Agency

Clare Perry, Environmental Investigation Agency
clock 16 October 2026 • 5 min read
Gas prices are volatile, gas shocks are inevitable

Gas prices are volatile, gas shocks are inevitable

Ed Davey's speech to Energy UK's annual conference slams Conservative plans that threaten to make the UK even more reliant on expensive imported gas

Ed Davey, MP
clock 15 October 2026 • 11 min read