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Zero waste

A volunteer trying out CPRE's portable reverse vending machine
A volunteer trying out CPRE's portable reverse vending machine

We want to reduce waste, including harmful plastics and other single-use packaging, to enhance and protect our natural spaces and our climate.

Waste in our countryside harms our soils, rivers and oceans. Excessive and single-use packaging costs money to remove, destroy or recycle, and contributes to the climate emergency. It’s time for change.

We’re calling for a comprehensive deposit return system (DRS) for all drinks containers, a commonly littered item, to increase recycling of these items to over 90%.

Our campaign for a DRS

play video

Schoolchildren ask Michael Gove for a deposit return scheme

In March 2019 we took a group of passionate and environmentally-aware children to meet Michael Gove.

They didn’t hold back as they told the then-Environment Secretary exactly what they want – a plastic-free future – and exactly how to do it: with an all-in deposit return scheme.

Find out more

Read the video transcript.

Explainers

Dive deeper into the topics we care about with our handy explainer guides.