Deposit return scheme: UK and Welsh ministers in row over glass

Wales’ climate change secretary Huw Irranca-Davies described the comments as a “threat”, claiming the UK government wanted to “restrict our ability to go further and impose a watered-down DRS on Wales”.

“Delivering different schemes that are responsive to the different contexts in our respective nations is eminently feasible,” he said, arguing that there were international examples of varying approaches to DRS within a single market.

Wales’ already high recycling rates put the country “in a different position”, he argued – “necessitating a more ambitious approach”.

Including glass was a matter of “when, not if”, and Wales was prepared to plough ahead and “provide invaluable learning for our neighbouring countries,” he said.

Richard Naisby, chair of the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) said to make a DRS work “we need one scheme that is introduced with the same materials, the same rules and on the same day across the UK”.

“Today’s announcement means that small businesses in Wales will be penalised by the political failure to agree the same materials, with Wales the only nation to include glass”.

But environment groups urged others to follow Wales’ lead.

“For our ocean’s sake, we can’t keep kicking the can – or bottle – down the road,” said Marine Conservation Society chief executive Sandy Luk.

“We call on the UK government to speed up this law and to follow Wales’s ambition to include plastic, metal and glass.”

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said the charity was “pleased to see that Wales look determined to pursue their best-in class scheme and encourage the rest of the UK to follow suit.”