Environmental organisations have reaffirmed their support for Scotland’s upcoming deposit return scheme, saying that it must begin on time and work for all producers in order to start cutting our emissions. Campaigners say that further delays to the scheme which were requested by industry members last week would result in increased litter across Scotland, a […]

On 13th May 2020, the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of the final regulations for Scotland’s deposit return system, so after all these years of campaigning, we have final confirmation of how and when it will start!

In May 2019, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced that Scotland will have a deposit return system for all bottles and cans made from PET plastic, metal, and glass. There will be a 20 pence deposit on each of these items, and customers will get their money back when they return their empty to any shop that sells drinks. The Scottish Government intend the system to start in April 2021.

Almost a year ago we went to Oslo with 5 Members of the Scottish Parliament, one from each Holyrood party, to look at the Norwegian deposit return system. It was a great trip and all five have taken a close interest in what Scotland’s deposit system will look like.

Here at Have You Got The Bottle? we’re fighting for Scotland’s nature. We know about the negative impacts that litter has on wildlife; from insects and small mammals getting stuck inside bottles, to seabirds and creatures feeding plastic to their young. Evidence suggests that more than 140,000 bottles and cans are littered in Scotland every single day. That’s why we’re delighted that the Scottish Government have committed to introducing a deposit return system for most PET plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans, and glass bottles before the end of this parliamentary session.