Environment Bill Returns to Parliament

The Environment Bill has been laid in Parliament.

The Environment Bill includes commitments on tackling plastic pollution and legislates for the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS). The Environment Bill sets out the Government's policy on meeting the net-zero target by 2050, requiring producers to take more responsibility for products and materials that they introduce to the market, introducing a consistent approach to recycling and powers to introduce charges for single-use plastic items.

The Environment Bill was originally introduced in October before the General Election. The bill was reintroduced to parliament in January and will be considered by at its Second Reading on Wednesday 26th February 2020. The Bill gives powers to the government to introduce DRS, reform extended producer responsibility and increase consistency in household and business recycling collections. Secondary regulations will then be laid following further consultation providing detail about the measures and how they will be designed. Defra have committed to introduce a deposit return scheme and reforms to extended producer responsibility in 2023. 

The Environment Bill 2020 policy statement can be found on the government website here .