Scottish Government announces live date for Deposit Return Scheme

Article summary

The Scottish Government has announced that the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), a scheme where consumers that buy a drink in a single-use container pay a 20p deposit which they will get back once the empty bottle or can is returned, will go live for consumers on 16 August 2023 to boost recycling and deliver a circular economy across Scotland. The DRS will be the first implemented in the UK and Zero Waste Scotland estimates a reduction in emissions of nearly 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year on average. The DRS aims to cut the number of bottles and cans discarded in streets as well as green spaces, and will be delivered by Circularity Scotland Ltd, an industry-led organisation that represents drink producers, retailers and trade bodies. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency, as the regulator for the DRS, has also launched a campaign to support businesses in understanding their legal responsibilities and the steps they need to take...