Tidy Our Town: Could the ‘Deposit Return Scheme’ help tackle the litter that is blighting Northampton’s streets?

Deposit Return Schemes are used all over the world, with the aim of encouraging more people to recycle bottles and cans.

Described as ‘reverse vending machines’, customers can get a small portion of the money they paid back if they return and recycle the bottle or can to a collection point.

According to Ecoveritas, an environmental compliance data specialist, “anyone who retails the materials confirmed in the scheme may have to act as a return point”.

Shops and retailers are expected to process returns through a machine, or using a collection bag in-store. All of the recyclable materials will then be collected and customers will have benefited from receiving their small deposit back.

Mark Watson, one of the Northants Litter Wombles committee members, expressed his support for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme across the country – particularly in Northampton.

“I’d like to see the council encouraging this scheme,” he told the Chronicle & Echo. “And supermarkets and outlets getting ready to implement this as soon as possible. Half of the volume of litter is cans and bottles.”

Despite hopes that the innovative scheme is being rolled out across England by October 2025 following initial delays, there has been online speculation that it may be pushed back to 2028 – as revealed by the i newspaper.

At the start of last month, West Suffolk became the first council in the country to get behind the initiative to increase recycling and support local businesses.

Having teamed up with Trovr to install four reverse vending machines, a smartphone app is now in use to “incentivise recycling through points-based rewards which can then be spent in local businesses”.

West Suffolk Council has invested £3,000 towards the six-month trial, making Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds the first towns to test the machines. If successful, there is the possibility that the machines will be trialled across more of West Suffolk.

Chronicle & Echo asked West Northamptonshire Council if it stands in support of the Deposit Return Scheme, and if there is a plan for it to be rolled out across West Northamptonshire in the future.

It was also asked if the Council would consider trialling out the ‘reverse vending machines’ ahead of the introduction of the scheme, like West Suffolk Council has.

This comment was provided: “The Council supports maximising the capture of good quality recyclable materials and the DRS will be a helpful part of this system. We will consider options as part of a review of the waste collection systems which will commence in 2025.”

Options are not set to be considered for West Northamptonshire until next year but it begs the question – could the ‘Deposit Return Scheme’ help to tackle the litter that is currently blighting our streets?

If you would like to get involved in the Tidy Our Town campaign, established by the Chronicle & Echo with the support of the Northants Litter Wombles, email [email protected].

To join the Northants Litter Wombles in their important work, visit the Facebook group here.