Further postponement to bottles and cans returns scheme

A SCHEME seeking to encourage the return of used bottles and cans, to help reduce litter and increase recycling, has been postponed until at least October in two years’ time.

The Scottish Government minister responsible for the so-called Deposit Return Scheme – which would involve a returnable supplement on bottles and cans – announced today the postponement, saying the cause was a reluctance on the part of the UK Government to provide the consent necessary to allow Scotland to go it alone, when cans and bottles have an UK-wide use.

Says a Scottish Government announcement, here: “The launch of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will be delayed until at least October 2025 as a consequence of the UK Government’s refusal to agree a full exclusion from the Internal Market Act, Circular Economy Minister, Lorna Slater, has told [the Scottish] Parliament.

“Last week, the UK Government imposed a number of highly significant conditions on the scheme, including the removal of glass and the requirement to align aspects of the scheme with schemes across the UK – none of which exist at the moment or have regulations in place.”

There had already been a postponement announced, to March next year – as reported, here, on placedesignscotland.com.

Picture credit: Place Design Scotland

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