Consumers in Scotland will have to pay a 20p deposit on every bottle or drink can they buy from shops under a new scheme revealed by the Scottish government. The deposit return scheme will cover glass and plastic bottles as well as aluminium and steel drink cans sold from any shop in Scotland.
It will cover single use bottles ranging from a 50ml whisky or vodka miniature to three-litre bottles of cider. Every can or bottle in a multipack of beer, water or cola will also attract the 20p charge. It will also include online retailers. Only restaurants and pubs selling drinks for consumption on the premises excluded. HDPE-made plastic bottles which are typically used to carry milk will not be included.
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Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish environment secretary, said: “There is a global climate emergency and people across Scotland have been calling, rightly, for more ambition to tackle it and safeguard our planet for future generations”.
The 20p deposit will be added to the price of single use drinks container bought from a shop. The consumer will get their deposit back when they return the empty bottle or can to the retailer. There will be two ways you can return empty container, you can do it over the counter or by using a reverse vending machine (RVM). An RVM is a machine that scans containers when they are returned and then refunds your deposit. There are many ways you can get the 20p back, for example cash at the till, a token or discount voucher or digitally.
The Scottish government said it was planning to introduce the legislation later in the year. Once the Scottish Parliament has passed the necessary regulations there will be an implantation period for at least 12 months before the scheme is up and running.
The Federation of Small Businesses said they were shocked ministers had not allowed the smallest retailers to opt out, as they had believed would happen.
Colin Borland, the FSB’s director of devolved nations, said: “We’re unhappy that the Scottish government hasn’t taken on board our concerns, despite a commitment to address the problems such a scheme poses for small retailers. Ministers need to explain to those that run the smallest shops how this scheme will work for them.”
