Litter Wombles to launch deposit return scheme

A litter-picking group is to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) that will offer rewards to people who recycle their cans and bottles.

The Northants Litter Wombles has teamed up with the University of Northampton and machine installer Trovr to put a reverse-vending machine on campus.

It will be in the Market Restaurant at the Waterside Campus and available for use by the general public as well as students.

Mark Watson, committee member for the Wombles, said bottles and cans account for up to 60% of the rubbish collected by the volunteer group.

"The amount of litter on the streets of the UK is a national disgrace," he said.

"If a DRS machine takes 90% of bottles and cans off the streets then that's going to have a huge effect on the litter we see thrown in hedges, rivers and on the street.

"It [the scheme] might be one small step for Wombles, but a giant leap for Womble-kind."

Trovr will lend the machine on a long-term basis as part of trial for the UK's national DRS rollout.

Users deposit empty bottles and cans into the machine and are given points on the Trovr app to be exchanged for rewards and discounts.

The national scheme was first announced by then-Environment Secretary Michael Gove in 2018, but has faced numerous delays since.

It was meant to launch in August 2023, before being pushed back to 2024, and now is not due until 2027.

Under the nationwide initiative, a redeemable deposit is placed on drinks containers that can be claimed back when the item is returned to a collection point.

But the pilot machine that will be launched by the Wombles group will be slightly different.

Chris Rockall, commercial services and catering manager at the university, said people would instead earn points which can be converted into prizes.

"When the national scheme rolls out the idea is that there will be a cash incentive for everyone that recycles," he said.

"We are not in that phase yet so what we're going to do is incentivise it with local prizes, so you might get a free cup of coffee or discount off a meal."

There are also plans to get local businesses involved with the project so that points can be redeemed for prizes in and around the town centre.

Nick Yeatman, chief executive at Trovr, said the trial meant the company could "test the technology" while educating the public and retailers about what to expect when the national rollout begins.

"Pollution is apocalyptic. DRS schemes that run across Europe and other places get their recycling rate up to 85-90% quite quickly," he said.

"It's massively beneficial from a pollution perspective; we need to clean up plastic pollution and it's down to us to make it happen."

There is not yet a confirmed date for the arrival of the new recycling machine but it is expected to be delivered and installed this month.

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