Closed petition Introduce a plastic deposit return scheme in major supermarkets

Closed on 21 March 2019

The Government must work with supermarkets to introduce a plastic bottle return scheme. Almost 36 million plastic bottles are bought every day in the UK. Less than half are recycled. 35 countries use this scheme, with Norway recycling 96% of their plastic (Sky Ocean Rescue, 2018).

Plastic now ends up in our foods and this is dangerous to us. If other countries can do it then so can we! Floating plastic becomes brittle in sunlight and then slowly breaks up into ever-smaller pieces as it is churned up by waves. It can take centuries to break down. Many scientists believe plastic never completely disappears - particularly if it's submerged in deep or cold water. A drink bottle can take 450 years to break down, while a plastic fishing line could last for 600 years. (Sky Ocean Rescue, 2018)