We are putting this page on hold for now. For updated resources and information, please visit aprs.scot. Scotland was to become the first nation in the UK to commit to a deposit return system for bottles and cans, due for launch on the 1st March 2024. On 7th June 2023 - the Scottish Government announced they intend to delay deposit return for a fourth time, to align with a UK system which will launch in October 2025 at the earliest.
Action to Protect Rural ScotlandHow would it work in practice? Easy. You pay a small deposit when you buy cans and bottles, and get it back when you return them.
Find out more about deposit returnAnd could it work here? Of course. Deposit return works reliably around the world, and there's no reason Scotland can't be next.
Read the international evidenceIf we want to reduce litter and clean up Scotland, nothing else comes even close.
Less litter for Scottish councils to pick up means cost savings for local taxpayers.
When people get money back for recycling, it changes attitudes and changes behaviour.
Collecting empty packaging more efficiently provides better materials for industry.
There will be more good quality jobs in manufacturing as well as in recycling.
Litter and landfill aren't just wasteful, they're bad for the planet.
Scotland’s Deposit Return return scheme was supposed to start two years ago and it has been delayed until 1st March 2024.
When it comes to getting rid of litter for good, nothing else even comes close.
We cannot delay again – join the “Don’t Bottle It!” campaign and email your MSPs today.
Read on >Almost five years after UK Ministers first promised a deposit return system, we’re delighted to see them take the next big step. There will be significant benefits in having deposit return across the whole of the UK, for the public, for the environment, and for business alike. Westminster’s intention to exclude glass from the English […]
Read on >
‘Deposit return systems have been shown to work elsewhere, and so is certainly worth introducing here. Our wasteful lifestyles damage nature and the climate, so reducing the waste we produce is essential if we are to reduce our environmental footprints.’
WWF Scotland