Following weeks of uncertainty, Scotland has now delayed the introduction of its deposit return scheme (DRS) until October 2025 at the earliest.
The UK-first recycling scheme was originally due to start in August this year but was then pushed back to March 2024 after Humza Yousaf was installed as Scotland’s first minister.
However, the country’s Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said yesterday that she had been left with no choice but to postpone it again after the UK government ruled at the end of last month that the Scottish scheme must exclude glass so that it doesn’t conflict with similar DRS plans for England, Northern Ireland, and Wales due in 2025.
The delay means that Scotland’s DRS is likely to launch at the same time as other parts of the UK, something retailers and drinks companies had been calling for.
Slater said: “The overwhelming feedback from producers, retailers and hospitality is that they cannot prepare for a March launch based on the changes being required by the UK government without any certainty even about what those changes would be”.
She added: “As of today, it is now clear that we have been left with no other option than to delay the launch of Scotland’s DRS until October 2025 at the earliest based on the UK government’s current stated aspirations.
“I remain committed to interoperable DRS schemes across the UK provided that we can work in a spirit of collaboration not imposition.”
James Lowman, Chief Executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, stated that it was disappointing that Scotland’s scheme couldn’t go ahead, but added: “It is the right decision to work towards the launch of interoperable schemes across the UK in October 2025.
“It is absolutely essential that the governments of the UK work together to introduce a scheme that works for everyone, is effective at increasing recycling rates, and does not impose unnecessary conditions on the retailers that will be delivering the scheme on the ground.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) welcomed the decision of the Scottish government to cancel the DRS launch.
Mo Razzaq, the organisation’s national deputy vice president, said: “It makes sense for the Scottish government to decide now to launch at the same time as the rest of the UK, because we are far from confident the deeply flawed Scottish scheme will be ready by its most recent launch date of March 2024. Businesses are angry and seriously short-changed because of the continuing confusion.
“We understand the desire to progress plans combating litter and waste of the earth’s resources, but with now only one year between launch in Scotland and launch in the rest of the UK, the case is far from compelling.
“We call on the developers of the scheme for Wales, England, Northern Ireland and now Scotland to avoid the mistakes made in Scotland but still progress as quickly as possible to meet the urgent need for less litter and less waste of the earth’s resources.”
Meanwhile, Colin Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Wholesale Association, commented: “From the SWA’s point of view, given the time and effort that we have invested over the past six years – raising the implications on the wholesale channel; representing our wholesalers that are producers as members of CSL; and working tirelessly to get exemptions and financial mitigations for those members and wider SME producers – we cannot let this work and achievements go to waste in any wider UK scheme.
“We will continue to engage with Scottish Government, CSL, UK Government and partner trade associations as this situation evolves.”
NAM Implications:
- An initiative now languishing in the long grass, methinks…
- i.e. forget?
