Birmingham Friends of the Earth are urging the government to pick up momentum on environmental issues by introducing a nationwide scheme to return plastic bottles. The eco-charity have launched a petition aimed at Environmental Secretary Michael Gove to help clean up UK streets by bringing in a ‘Plastic Bottle Deposit Return Scheme’ – a way for the public to recycle plastic bottles for money.
The scheme could see the price of plastic bottles rise by as much as 30p. However, the money can be gained back by returning the plastic bottle to a dedicated deposit box so it can be recycled.
Friends of The Earth say that not only will this have a positive impact on the amount of litter on Birmingham’s streets and green spaces, but will ultimately lead to less plastic being introduced into the food chain through being eaten by fish, and then those fish being eaten by humans.
Jodie Etheridge, who is spearheading the campaign, thinks that there’s never been a better time to campaign for environmental issues in Britain:
“The previous successes with the carrier bag charge and reduced waste of drinking straws, combined with the media attention on plastic in the oceans, is paving the way for a turning point on plastic waste”
This campaign comes after the government announced a plan to expand the 5p bag charge across all retailers, and major retailer Iceland announced they would be eliminating plastic on all their own-brand products.
