Save our choking seas, says Liberal Democrat Group Leader

Liberal Democrat Group Leader on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE

The Leader of the Opposition and of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Secretary of State for the Environment, the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP supporting a government proposal to introduce a deposit scheme on drinks bottles and cans to encourage returns and so boost recycling.

The Environment Secretary is consulting Councils and environmental groups on the proposals in advance of the possible introduction of such a deposit scheme, whereby consumers deposit empty bottles and cans to ‘reverse’ vending machines located in community venues in order to receive payment of their deposit back. The consultation ends on 30 October.

Councillor Sykes explained: “Our beaches, rivers and estuaries are being choked by plastic bottles, cans and food packaging senselessly discarded by inconsiderate consumers. Our oceans are being slowly suffocated by plastic pollution. It is not only birds, animals and plant life that suffer though, it is also mankind; for this blight reduces our quality of life and our enjoyment of the natural world.”

“Generally the Oldham Liberal Democrat Council Group, of which I am Leader, would be lambasting the Secretary of State for some proposal of his with which we strongly disagree, but on this occasion, I am pleased to say we have been able to write to him with our full support for this proposal, and to express our hope that such a scheme will be introduced soon.”

In Britain only 57% of plastic bottles are recycled. In Denmark which has a returns scheme it is 90%.

Responding to the disparity in the figures, Councillor Sykes described such a scheme as: “Sensible, practical and efficient, and long overdue. It is not though as if this is a new idea even in Britain. I am old enough to remember wagons carrying loads of Ben Shaws’ soft drinks around my community for sale door to door and me taking empties out to the van as a kid to collect the money my parents had paid on the bottles as a deposit.”