We asked if the Department plans to conduct a pilot of the deposit return scheme. It does not plan to conduct a pilot due to the practical challenges of setting it up. The Department told us it believes it has sufficient information from small trials and looking at the experiences of other countries who have implemented similar schemes.31 It told us that there are around 50 established and operational deposit return schemes internationally, and a number that are in development.32 The Department plans to learn from each of the examples and apply this to development of its deposit return scheme.33 However, it accepts 26 GRWR0035; GRWR0020 27 C&AG’s Report, Figure 8 28 GRWR0041 29 C&AG’s Report, para 2.4 30 Q 32; C&AG’s Report para 21 31 Qq 32–33 32 Qq 33–34 33 Q 32 Government’s programme of waste reforms 13 the international comparators are not directly comparable to the UK, for example because some countries do not have an established and mature kerbside collection which recycles the same containers as its deposit return scheme.34 34 Q34 14 Government’s programme of waste reforms 2 Government’s wider work on resources and waste Waste prevention