Drinks Containers (Redemption) Bill

House of Commons

Session 1997-98
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Other Bills before Parliament

Drinks Containers (Redemption) Bill

This is the text of the Drinks Containers (Redemption) Bill, as presented to the House of Commons on 3 June 1998

Drinks Containers (Redemption) Bill

ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES

Clause

1. Redemption value of drinks containers.

2. Redemption of drinks containers.

3. Redemption by retailer other than at his place of business.

4. Offences and penalties.

5. Interpretation.

6. Short title, commencement and extent.

A
B I L L
TO
Provide for the redemption of certain drinks containers; and for connected purposes.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

Redemption value of drinks containers.     1. - (1) Every drinks container which is sold or offered for sale shall have a redemption value of five pence.

    (2) Every drinks container which is sold or offered for sale shall be clearly marked with the words "Redemption value 5p".

    (3) The Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument-

(a) increase the redemption value of a drinks container specified in subsection (1) above by a multiple of one penny not exceeding five pence;

(b) alter the form of words required to be marked on a drinks container under subsection (2) above; or

(c) make such provisions as in his opinion are necessary with respect to the manner in which drinks containers are to be marked in accordance with subsection (2) above.

    (4) An order under subsection (3) above may make different provisions for different types of drinks or containers but no more that one order containing provisions under subsection (3)(a) above (whether alone or with other provisions) may be made in any twelve month period.

Redemption of drinks containers.     2. - (1) Subject to section 3 below, every retailer shall accept, at his place of business and during his normal business hours, from any person, any empty drinks container of a kind, size and brand sold by that retailer, and pay to that person the redemption value of the container; but shall not be required to accept from any one person in any 24-hour period more than one hundred empty drinks containers.

    (2) Every distributor shall collect, at reasonable intervals, from the place of business of any retailer supplied by him, any empty drinks container of a kind, size and brand sold by that distributor, and pay to that person the redemption value of that container plus half a penny.

    (3) Every manufacturer shall collect, at reasonable intervals, from the place of business of any distributor or any retailer supplied by him, any empty drinks container of a kind, size and brand sold by that manufacturer, and pay to that person the redemption value of that container plus half a penny.

    (4) Subsections (1) to (3) above shall not apply in respect of containers which-

(a) are not labelled in accordance with section 1(2) of this Act; or

(b) contain any material other than-

(i) their original contents; or

(ii) water.

Redemption by retailer other than at his place of business.     3. For the purposes of section 2(1) above, a retailer may arrange for containers to be redeemed at a place other than at his place of business (whether or not it is the place of business of another retailer), provided that-

(a) the place at which containers are to be redeemed is not further than one mile from his place of business;

(b) the times at which containers may be redeemed at that place are not substantially different from the retailer's normal business hours; and

(c) there is prominently displayed at his place of business a notice stating that he will not redeem drinks containers at his place of business and giving the location of the place at which drinks containers may be redeemed, and the times at which they may be redeemed.

Offences and penalties.     4. - (1) A person who sells or offers for sale drinks in any drinks container not marked in accordance with section 1 of this Act shall be guilty of an offence.

    (2) A person who refuses to redeem a drinks container in accordance with section 2 (and, in the case of a retailer, section 3) of this Act shall be guilty of an offence.

    (3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding-

(a) in the case of an offence under subsection (1) above, level 3 on the standard scale; and

(b) in the case of an offence under subsection (2) above, level 5 on the standard scale.

Interpretation.     5. In this Act-

"distributor" means any person who sells drinks in drinks containers to any retailer or distributor;

"drink" means any beverage in liquid form intended for human consumption;

"drinks container" means any closed receptacle made of glass, metal or plastic, containing or designed to contain any drink, other than a glass bottle used for the delivery of milk to domestic premises;

"manufacturer" means any person engaged in the filling of drinks containers with drinks for sale to distributors or retailers;

"place of business", in relation to a retailer, means any place at which he sells, or offers for sale, drinks in drinks containers;

"redemption value" has the meaning given by section 1(1); and

"retailer" means any person who sells or offers for sale any drinks in drinks containers, for consumption other than at his place of business.

Short title, commencement and extent.     6. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Drinks Containers (Redemption) Act 1998.

    (2) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint, and different days may be appointed for different purposes.

    (3) This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

© Parliamentary copyright 1998
Prepared 9 June 1998