Check out this industry news below, about what’s happening in Scotland.
DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will come into effect from August 2023. The scheme encourages consumers to recycle drinks containers, aiming to capture at least 90% of cans and bottles from going to waste. Products affected are all single-use PET, aluminium, steel or glass containers ranging in size from 50ml to 3 litres.
Timing
From 16 August 2023 all drinks producers and businesses selling single-use drinks containers in Scotland will be required to take part. A 20p deposit will be placed on all valid drinks containers, to be refunded back on return.
How will it affect England, Wales & NI?
DEFRA has revealed the scope of its deposit return scheme (DRS) plans for England, Wales and Northern Ireland in its recently published Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) consultation response.
Following Scotland’s lead, DEFRA and the Welsh Government have confirmed their intention to introduce an “all-in” Deposit Return Scheme for Wales, England, and Northern Ireland for 2014. This means it will apply to single-use and multipack drinks containers ranging from 50ml-3litres.
In England and Northern Ireland, PET plastic drink bottles and metal drinks cans will be included in the scheme. In Wales, glass drink bottles will also be included, in line with Scotland’s scheme which is due to launch in August 2023.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY BILL SCOTLAND
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on what should be in the Bill. This is the second time they have asked, as the pandemic caused the whole process to be put on hold in 2020.
This is a wide-ranging Bill, that will include:
• banning the destruction of unsold goods
• improving household recycling and reuse services
• introducing new recycling reporting
• reduction of single-use items and promote reuse of products
At the same time, the Scottish Government is also consulting in on the ‘Route Map to 2025 and beyond’ to deliver zero waste. Amongst the proposed priorities are to promote and support responsible production and consumption, including tackling consumption of single-use items and promoting reuse.
