We don't want people to stop recycling, so the answer to that is actually making sure we develop those markets closer to home. I'm more than happy to send as much information as we can for you to take a look at. 

I was talking about deposit-return schemes. They're proven to improve on-the-go recycling and reduce littering, as well as providing a high-quality collection of drinks containers that can be recycled. I've heard criticism today—I think we talked about how we had conversations with counterparts across devolved and UK administrations, but we have actually passed that now. I don't know whether some Members have been napping, but we did recently consult jointly with UK Government about the merits of introducing a deposit-return scheme and extended producer responsibility.

The consultation closed just last month and, as Members would expect, there was significant degree of interest and responses to the consultation. It's now important that we consider how any scheme would fit with our existing household collections as well as looking at the impacts on the consumers, such as costs and accessibility. As I said, these proposal for a DRS sit alongside wider proposals to introduce extended producer responsibility, which places more of an obligation on the producer for the packaging that they create. If these were implemented, the best and most beneficial approach would be to do this at the same time. 

During the consultation on both of these, I held a briefing session for Assembly Members as well as a meeting for stakeholders from across the piece with the local authorities, retailers, and also the environmental sector, and I'd be more than happy to repeat that as we go to the next stages of this process. Linked to this is our ambition to become the first refill nation. Refill is a practical tap water campaign to reduce the amount of plastic waste caused by single-use plastic bottles. Following our support and promotion of the refill schemes, I'm pleased to share with Members that there are now over 1,000 refill stations across Wales and over 96 per cent of communities along the Wales coastal path have a refill presence. 

I think it was Dai Lloyd and also David Melding who talked about microplastics and the impact particularly on the marine environment and our food chain. We are committed to working in partnership to tackle this problem to gather more evidence, and also work is under way regarding restrictions on products made from oxo-degradable plastics, which contain additives that hasten the breakdown to damaging microplastics. 

We've all heard about the recent announcement that has been repeated here today by the UK Government to ban plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England. I can tell Members that here in Wales we are committed to restricting or banning the availability of these products in line with the European Union's single-use plastics directive. We've had announcements but what we do need is action. So, we will work with stakeholders and consult on our proposals for restrictions on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds and on a wider range of items such as balloon sticks, cutlery, plates and polystyrene food and drink containers. 

Additionally, the Welsh Treasury has been working with HM Treasury on proposals to incentivise the use of recycled plastic by applying a tax on all plastic packaging with less than 30 per cent recycled content. We will continue to work collaboratively with HM Treasury until more information is available on the UK Government's proposed approach, and ensure we continue to be part of the policy development and implementation process for any taxation measure in this area. 

But it's clear that the public, politicians and stakeholders across the piece are keen to take action to tackle plastic waste in Wales. Therefore, we continue to assess the potential for introducing a tax or charge on single-use drinks containers in Wales. This remains an option for us, and will depend on the outcome of a suite of waste and packaging consultations launched this year, including extended producer responsibility, which also actually had a question regarding a potential levy on drinks containers, alongside further action, and the work we're doing with businesses to increase their own levels of reuse.

It's also incredibly important that, in taking forward this agenda, we guard against unintended consequences, in addition to being both fair and proportionate in line with tax principles set out in the tax policy framework. But, as a nation, we can be particularly proud of our groundbreaking success in recycling, something that is recognised around the world. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of devolution, and, at the dawn of devolution, Wales recycled only 5 per cent of our waste. We have now reached over 60 per cent. We led the UK, introducing a carrier bag charge and brought in legislation to ban microbeads. I want Wales to lead the way once again on waste and resource management and in transitioning towards a zero-waste circular economy.

Colleagues, we should be under no illusions regarding the scale of the problem. There is much we can do as a Government and as individuals to make things better. Communities across the country are taking action to reduce single-use plastics, from Aberporth to Anglesey. This is to be applauded and supported. Momentum has been gaining in recent months on this, including in Mold, in my own constituency, with a second community meeting of Plastic Reduction Mold taking place this week. Small individual actions add up to make a collective difference, so the onus is on all of us to take action, Government included—action this Government has and will take to tackle problem plastic for our environment, for our communities and for our future. Diolch.