“We are delighted that the revised starting date for Scotland’s deposit return scheme has now been announced by the Minister as 16th August 2023” said Managing Director of TOMRA Collection UK & Ireland, Truls Haug. “This ambitious, wide-ranging DRS confirms Scotland’s place at the forefront of the circular economy. At a time when the world is changing in many ways, it is important that we continue to take steps to safeguard the planet for the future. This landmark scheme will see Scotland become the first part of the UK to implement a DRS, and the model is one to aspire to.”
The scheme is now set to go live in August 2023, with a series of key milestones along the way. Circularity Scotland, the approved system operator, is now in place and moving forward with getting the scheme ready.
“We look forward to working with all parties to help ensure a successful launch. TOMRA is currently working with a number of retailers in Scotland with active trials in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and beyond. In the current climate, the revised date will give retailers, producers, and the public sufficient time to prepare. Scotland is truly doing its part to help turn off the tap to drinks container pollution, and we encourage the rest of the UK to adopt a similar scheme as quickly as possible.”
The ‘return to retailer’ scheme will place a 20p refundable deposit on drinks containers and will include glass, as well as PET bottles, steel and aluminium cans. This provides the basis for a scheme that could help see the return of over 90% of drinks containers for recycling by 2024.
