18th January 2023
Scotland will be the first of the United Kingdom’s nations to establish a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for single-use drinks containers with a ‘go live’ date of 16 August 2023. It is hoped that by placing a financial value on selected single-use drinks containers, a DRS will encourage consumers to return the containers for recycling, reducing the likelihood that they will end up as litter and increasing the likelihood they will be recycled. The deposit return scheme will cover PET plastic, aluminium, steel and glass.
However, under new guidance published in November 2022, the Scottish Government has confirmed that thousands of smaller retailers will be able to opt out of the DRS. The guidance makes the process of applying for an exemption from the deposit return scheme regulations much less complex.
The changes within the guidance include:
Industry bodies have welcomed the guidance and are now urging ministers in the rest of the UK to follow suit. Feedback is awaited from recent consultations for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a start date of late 2024 for equivalent schemes is anticipated. We will have to wait and see whether the deposit return schemes in the rest of the UK are similarly scaled back. The Walker Morris Food & Drink team will keep you updated. No new legislation is required to establish the schemes as enabling provisions were included in the Environment Act 2021.