#PainInTheGlass

Broken glass in the environment poses a significant risk to the safety of animals, children and adults.

The UK government is currently planning to exclude glass from the Deposit Return Scheme on the grounds of Health and Safety, stating in their consultation response that 'reverse vending machines will... carry safety risks associated with handling broken glass. The weight of glass and the potential for breakages also poses consumer safety issues in transporting glass bottles to return points'.  

At Keep Britain Tidy it is our view that broken glass in the natural environment poses a far greater risk to the general public and to wildlife than to retailers trained to handle the material. And if consumers are able to take glass away from supermarkets then surely they are able to return it and should be incentivised to do so through a Deposit Return Scheme.