Dear John,

Did you know we waste 8 billion drinks containers every year in the UK, many ending up as litter in our countryside and green spaces? Shocking isn’t it.  

Luckily the solution is within touching distance - but we need your help to reach it. 

For over ten years we’ve been calling for an all-in Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). A simple system that prevents the littering of drinks containers and ensures recycling rates of over 90% [1].  

Three years ago the government committed to a DRS but now, after pressure from industry lobbyists, they look set to kick the can down the road [2].  

We’re fed up. So, in a few weeks we’re taking a message in a bottle directly to the Prime Minister, telling him to get a move on.  

Over 30,000 people have already taken action, but we need your help to get this back on the government's agenda. Will you add your name? 

An all-in DRS would see drinks producers paying for the collection and recycling of all the containers they make and sell. Even big drinks producers like Coca-Cola now agree it’s the answer to our litter problem. 

Yet the government are not only delaying the scheme until the end of 2024 at the earliest, but they’re also still considering a leaky system design that will leave out billions of drinks bottles and cans.  

This is the work of a handful of trade bodies trying to confuse and distract the government. 

Together we can drown out their empty claims with a message straight to Boris Johnson: don’t dilute or delay deposit return. Will you join us?  

With enough of us taking part, we can finally put the wheels in motion for the solution we need to our litter crisis. 

Thank you for your ongoing support,  

Maddy, Pat and the CPRE team 

CPRE The countryside charity