If we were to design a DRS for the Global South, how would we do it?

By Joan Marc Simon

This is a conversation we have had with many people in Europe over the past years. The first instinct is always to look at the best-performing systems in the Global North and try to extrapolate that approach to other countries. This methodology has been tested many times, and my experience over decades of work in both the Global North and the Global South shows that it has, at best, underdelivered and, at worst, failed spectacularly.

That is why having the opportunity to go to Manila for a four-day workshop with a wide range of local stakeholders, with the objective of designing a tailor-made Deposit and Return System (DRS) for the Philippines, was a golden opportunity to approach the challenge from a completely different perspective.

Through our work with the Global DRS Platform, we are deeply aware that meaningful impact can only be achieved by working from the ground up. In preparing the workshop in Manila, collaborating with our partners (Mother Earth Foundation, the Philippines Reuse Consortium, the Philippines Waste Workers Alliance, and Zero Waste Cities Network) was the only way to build a DRS model that could truly work for the country.

There are over 50 countries worldwide with Deposit and Return Systems, and no two DRS models are exactly the same. However, there are almost no modern systems in the Global South. While some brands have long operated refillable packaging schemes, there is still nothing close to a nationwide mandatory system.

With this in mind, we proposed the following approach for the workshop:

• • Put local expertise and context first.
  • Share a common understanding of what a DRS is and how it works.
  • Once participants were equipped with the necessary knowledge, support them in designing a system that works for them — even if it looks completely different from what we see in Europe.

Over three days, we witnessed how a group of more than 30 participants evolved from having limited knowledge about DRS to not only mastering the concept, but taking the initiative to design a system that serves their constituencies (waste workers, small retailers, reuse businesses, local authorities, and civil society) while delivering strong environmental and economic outcomes.

As a result of this workshop, the Philippines now has a concrete plan outlining how a Deposit and Return System could be implemented in the country. A plan made by Filipinos, for Filipinos, and one that, if implemented, could significantly reduce plastic pollution, decrease resource use, and strengthen the local economy.

If you are interested in learning more about the Global DRS Platform, please get in touch with us.