A disagreement over the inclusion of glass bottles in Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers may probably lead to the scheme’s collapse. The UK authorities has decided in opposition to including glass bottles, inflicting issues that the Scottish scheme, originally deliberate for launch in August 2023, could not proceed. The revised launch date is now set for March subsequent 12 months, however without glass bottles. It is more and more doubtless that Scotland will be a part of the UK-wide scheme when it commences in 2025.
Many small businesses in Scotland have made important investments in preparation for the scheme, including putting in reverse vending machines able to amassing containers and issuing vouchers. Mo Razzaq, a shop owner and Labour councillor in Glasgow, advised Sky News that he spent over £10,000 on making a dedicated area for the machine in his retailer. Razzaq, who is also the vp of the Federation of Independent Retailers, spent £15,000 on the machine, which might separate aluminium and metal cans, plastic, and glass.
“We were informed all alongside that that is what’s going to be included. Lost is the machine we were specified was required so that’s what we purchased.”
If the scheme proceeds with out glass, Razzaq and other enterprise owners will face financial losses, as their machines would have to be modified to plastic and can-only units. The UK government confirmed this week that the deposit return scheme can proceed, but said that there’s “insufficient justification” for including glass bottles.
In response, Scottish ministers claimed that devolution is “under sustained attack”. First Minister Humza Yousaf stated on Thursday: “We’ve seen the UK government determined to journey roughshod over a measure to enhance recycling and dramatically reduce litter, by in search of to sabotage rules that this parliament passed on bottle and may recycling and that’s merely unacceptable.”
Colin Borland, director of Devolved Nations, commented: “Smaller producers have suffered weeks and months of uncertainty following the saga of the DRS already, so this newest plot twist won’t be setting any of their minds comfy.”