Written question asked by Euan Stainbank (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 June 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Monday, 8 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Recycling

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) aluminium and (b) other materials collected under (i) the Deposit Return Scheme and (ii) Simpler Recycling are retained for (A) domestic and (B) European recycling.

Answer

Together, the Collection and Packaging Reforms – Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) – will make recycling clearer and easier, which will help to reduce contamination, better preserve material value, and help to grow demand for recyclables. This should mean more recycled material in the products we buy and should support investment in the UK recycling industry.

Under the DRS, the Deposit Management Organisation (Exchange for Change) are responsible for ensuring that material collected through the DRS is recycled. The regulations also include a “right of first refusal” that allows producers first access to purchase collected material at market value, encouraging brands to source material from the UK market to use as recycled content.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 6527
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Recycling Deposit return schemes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Recycling

Secondary information

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