While the prevalence of single-use plastic has grown dramatically over the last 20 years, the systems to contain, collect, reuse and recycle it have not kept pace. Plastic drinking bottles could be made out of 100% recycled plastic, known as rPET, and campaigners are pressing drinks companies to significantly increase the amount of recycled plastic in their bottles.The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive sets a 90% separate collection target for plastic beverage bottles by 2029. Policymakers are debating whether deposit return schemes (DRS) can be the solution to achieve this target. Several EU countries have demonstrated that DRS can help meet the SUP targets much earlier than 2029 and guarantee a closed loop for plastic bottles.DRS are a system where consumers buying a product pay an additional fee (a deposit) that is reimbursed upon the return of the packaging or product to a collection point.On the one hand, DRS have the benefit of yielding high return rates in a separate “clean” stream for PET beverage bottles, thereby guaranteeing a closed loop and enabling a higher use of recycled content. However, there are also disadvantages to this system such as a perceived rise in the cost of products to consumers.