It was only a matter of time before retailers broke ranks in their resistance to the government’s plans for a bottle deposit return scheme (DRS).
Today’s move by the Co-op and Iceland is unlikely to be the last change in stance towards this red-hot potato either. The language used by Iceland, describing plastic waste in the oceans as a “ticking time bomb for humanity”, is reflective of just how explosive a political issue DRS has become, in the space of just a few months.
There are two arguments as to why more retailers are likely to change their mind, depending on how cynical one may be. Faced with a consensus of political and public opinion that takes in everyone from Michael Gove, Greenpeace, Sky News, The Sun and the Daily Mail to Nicola Sturgeon, arguing against it has become toxic PR for supermarkets, especially those that have set out their stalls as environmentalists.
The industry ought to be especially on alert considering the government’s announcement of a wider war on plastic, which has put the food and drink sector bang in the middle of the firing line.
The example of the plastic bag tax, of course, stands out as a recent reminder of how dogged opposition can turn to environmental leadership. There is no doubt the reputation of supermarkets like Tesco, which has assumed responsibility for getting rid of plastic bags, has improved as a result.
But the better reason for retailers to back DRS is that by being at the table, the industry will be able to mould the plans and prevent it turning into the disaster some have predicted.
Instead of scaremongering warnings about prices going up (the BRC has suggested DRS could put the price of a pint of milk up by 45% – is that really likely?), retailers and suppliers should be helping to forge government policy on protecting the planet. They can help make sure it benefits investment in new technology and incentivises companies to do the right thing.
By being at the table they can also get the important message across that DRS on its own is no silver bullet. Heads need to be knocked together to work out how it can work alongside existing (and often patchwork) kerbside collection services. The ridiculously complicated waste recovery note system, supposedly there to incentivise suppliers to recycle, needs to be reformed too. And yes, there will need to be measures to prevent those retailers who can ill afford it being hammered by extra costs.
But all of this needs a conversation with retailers and suppliers involved as active partners. Shouting criticism from the sidelines or remaining silent in the shadows simply won’t do.
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