Deposit schemes reduce drink containers in the ocean by 40%

Plastic waste in the ocean is a global problem; some ten million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year.

One possible solution – paying a small amount for returned drink containers – has been consistently opposed by the beverage industry for many years. But for the first time our research, published in Marine Policy, has found that container deposits reduce the amount of beverage containers on the coasts of both the United States and Australia by 40%.

What’s more, the reduction is even more pronounced in areas of lower socio-economic status, where plastic waste is most common.

Read the full article here.