Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme passed by Parliament
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.
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Important milestone in Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme reached:
On the 29th April 2020 an important milestone in Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme was reached.
The Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform Committee backed the regulations . They will now go forward to Parliament with Committee support.
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Glasgow Hillhead Iceland Foods store installs a Reverse Vending Machine
Today we installed another “Deposit Return” ready Reverse Vending Machine in a supermarket in Scotland.
The installation of our RVM Systems x2 model Reverse Vending machine in the Hillhead store in Glasgow will enable Iceland Foods and interested stakeholders to assess the impact on store staff at the store and the change in behaviour of the stores customers.
The current installations with Iceland Foods and other retailers are trials and are not permanent installations.
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme starts in Q1 2021 , the current trials allow the retailers to gain real experience of having this new technology in their stores.
We enjoy a good relationship with Iceland Foods , we also have machines at the Iceland Foods head office, Iceland Food Fulham store ( this was the first in the UK ) and the Iceland Foods store in Belfast (This was the first machine in Northern Ireland).
We have recently removed the above machine from the Iceland Foods Muselburgh store following a successful trial
Visiting address:
The Iceland Foods Hillhead store
224/226 Byres Road, Hillhead, Glasgow,G12 8SH
Facts (full document from Iceland Foods )
- Over 95% of customers believe a deposit return scheme should be extended to all retailers.
- Two thirds of customers used the machines because of environmental concerns
- August 2019 Plastic bottles were accepted in five stores located across the UK Iceland has recycled more than 1 million plastic bottles since May 2018, following its industry-leading move to trial reverse vending machines in a selection of its stores.
- During the trial period Iceland has been gaining feedback from its customers, who have responded extremely positively with 96% of shoppers believing the scheme should be extended to all retailers. Iceland’s customer insights showed the main motivation for people using the reverse vending machines was environmental concerns, with two thirds (67%) choosing this option above any others.
Gallery of our machines with Iceland Foods :
Matt Downes Head of Format Development – Iceland Foods 
Simon Falstead Iceland Fulham Store Manager 
RVM Systems in Belfast store 
Matt Downes Head of Format Development Iceland Foods in Belfast store 
Iceland foods Musselburgh 
Note: Images copyright RVM Systems – All rights reserved
Iceland Foods Matt Downes explains how the RVM System works in Belfast
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Oor Wullie’s BIG Farewell Weekend
Oor Wullie’s BIG Farewell Weekend at the Glasgow SEC 13-15 September 2019
The Zero Waste Scotland’s sculpture – Bring Back Your Empties Wullie – is inspired by Scotland’s forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme, in which customers will pay a 20p deposit and get it back when they return their plastic bottle, glass bottle or can for recycling.
Scotland’s deposit return scheme will improve recycling rates, increase the quality of recycling materials, and significantly reduce litter.
“Zero Waste Scotland is proud to be part of Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail. The trail has really captured the public’s imagination and will raise vital funds for a fantastic cause.
“Bring Back Your Empties Wullie >> webpage
We demonstrated the latest x3 “Deposit Return Ready” Reverse Vending Machine at the Zero Waste Scotland stand at the SEC Glasgow.
Oor Wullie (English: Our Willie) is a Scottish comic strip published in the D.C. Thomson newspaper The Sunday Post. It features a character called Wullie Russell .
Wullie is the familiar Scots nickname for boys named William. His trademarks are spiky hair, dungarees and an upturned bucket, which he uses as a seat – most strips since early 1937 begin and end with a single panel of Wullie sitting on his bucket.
Barry and Richard from RVM Systems demonstrated the machine to event visitors and found that everyone is really looking forward to Scotland’s forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme.
The weekend was great fun with many “characters” and superheroes walking around the event and wanting to know more about the Deposit Return Scheme.
- Published in News