The Scottish Parliament voted today (Wednesday 13 May) to approve Regulations which will establish Scotland’s Deposit Scheme to boost recycling of single-use drinks containers.
Source : Zero Waste Scotland
This means that, on 1 July 2022, Scotland will join around 45 countries and territories around the world who operate a deposit return.
This timetable will give retailers and producers clarity on the future of deposit return in Scotland and more time to prepare.
The scheme will see people pay a 20p deposit on metal cans and PET plastic and glass bottles, refunded when they’re returned for recycling.
The final regulations, which were laid in the Scottish Parliament in March, maintain the ambitious approach to materials, with glass included alongside PET plastic and aluminium and steel. Following consultation with island communities, feedback from the Scottish Parliament’s Environment Committee and stakeholder input, the Scottish Government made changes to the regulations. These include a commitment to review the performance of the scheme by October 2026, including the deposit level, materials and the collection targets.
Now that the scheme has passed into law, details on how to apply to become a scheme administrator(s) that will run Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will be available shortly.
Until the deposit return scheme is up and running, as Scotland continues to tackle coronavirus, consumers should follow the latest government and local authority advice on dealing with recycling and waste items.
