I've supported this legislation proposal for two reasons. Firstly, I agree there's been an unacceptable delay in introducing action on this agenda, but also, I want Wales to go further than what is being proposed. It has been a big frustration, really. The Welsh Government has talked the talk for a number of years but, really, it isn't walking the walk. The Government has been talking about this for over a decade. I was elected in 2011, and at that time there was talk of action on a deposit-return scheme. Nearly a decade later, we're still waiting for those interventions to materialise.

Now, I understand the Government's wish to work in tandem with the UK Government, but, of course, it has meant severe delays and procrastination. I hold both the Welsh and the UK Governments equally culpable for the failure to act sooner. Now, we know from recent experiences, of course, that when Wales goes its own way, we very often can do much better. Scotland, as we've heard, has ploughed its own furrow on this, and it already has detailed plans in place for 2022, with set targets for 2025. So, why wait for Westminster, I say.

A deposit-return scheme, among other things, was a clear commitment in Plaid Cymru's manifesto in the 2016 election, and had we formed the Government, I'm convinced that we would already have a scheme in place. But, Labour's decision to hitch its wagon to the Tories in Westminster on this has clearly held us back. Now, Plaid Cymru has been consistently clear on our commitment to reducing waste. We want to place Wales at the forefront of the circular economy, and we want to ensure a zero-waste Wales by 2026, through a combination of legislation, policy initiatives such as the deposit-return scheme, of course, extended producer responsibility, which we're still talking about in the Senedd, and the use of planning laws, levies, and tax-making powers, et cetera, et cetera.

We know that the benefits of a deposit-return scheme are clear, as we've already heard. Drinks bottles, cans and lids contribute to around 10 per cent of all rubbish, and evidence shows that a deposit-return scheme is the best way of reducing that kind of waste and, of course, to increase levels of quality recycling. Now, last year, 45 countries around the world had already adopted this system. Norway and Australia have been doing it for many, many years, with the proven results becoming apparent very soon after rolling it out to the public.

Research from WRAP Cymru estimates that 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in Wales every year, of which around two-thirds is packaging waste. As we've heard, you can add to that now the new, emerging epidemic of PPE waste, especially face masks and gloves. I also joined the Marine Conservation Society recently for a beach clean, where it became immediately evident that this is now a huge problem that is going to haunt our environment for many, many years to come.

So, we all know what needs to be done. It's just a case of getting on and doing it. Instead of spending another decade talking about reducing waste, and merely aspiring to a waste-free Wales, we need concrete action on recycling and waste reduction. The Welsh Government should, at the very least, in responding to this debate, recognise that the measures that have been talked about for so long should already be in place. And, of course, in that respect, this Government has certainly failed our environment.