Pembrokeshire retailer Vince Malone has urged the Welsh government to adopt a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) that aligns with the rest of the UK.
It comes after the Welsh government was given the green light to include glass in its DRS, unlike the rest of the UK.
The owner of Tenby Stores and Post Office has called for glass to be removed from Wales’ DRS, citing concerns over higher costs, health and safety risks and operational challenges for convenience retailers.
“The entry costs for automated machines will be higher with the glass inclusion,” said Vince. ”There is also health and safety risks associated with the storage of large quantities of glass.”
“If other shops like us are planning to place the machine in-store, there is the added problem of noise. I would rather a system that was aligned to the rest of the UK, which in itself should lead to lower entry costs as the machine manufacturers are working with a far larger audience.”
“If DRS is delivered right, it will be great for all concerned and obviously help deliver an even higher recycling percentage. I’m fully behind DRS, but would like to see the removal of glass.”
Other retailers, meanwhile, have shared the same concerns as Vince. According to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), the inclusion of glass in Wales’ DRS will create “additional costs and operational burden” for local shops.
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