The UK’s first deposit recycling scheme is set to go live in Scotland on August 16, 2023. The programme requires customers to pay a 20-pence deposit when they purchase a drink that comes in a single-use container made of PET plastic, steel, aluminium, or glass. They will get their money back when the empty container has been returned to one of tens of thousands of return points. The target is to achieve a 90 percent collection rate by 2024.
This will be the first scheme of its kind in the UK and one of the most environmentally ambitious and accessible in Europe. Implementing a scheme on this scale is a massive national undertaking involving tens of thousands of producers and retailers. Given the challenges that the pandemic and Brexit have placed upon these businesses, it is disappointing - but understandable - that the independent review concluded the original start date was no longer feasible,” said Lorna Slater, Circular Economy Minister.
“Despite calls to water down the scheme by removing materials or waiting for other nations to catch up, we have maintained our ambition and ensured that the scheme will still meet its original target of achieving 90 percent collection rates by 2024. We have also published a clear plan for delivery, with critical milestones on the path to full implementation. These include use of return points on a voluntary basis by retailers from November 2022.”
