News & Updates


December 2nd, 2022

More than 1.25 million households across Scotland do not have access to kerbside glass recycling, according to analysis by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland of the latest data from WRAP. Overall that means 46.9% of Scottish households do not have their glass collected, up from 43% in 2018, the last time this […]

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May 8th, 2019

Environmental campaigners today welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of the scope of Scotland’s deposit return system. Ministers have confirmed that glass, cans and some plastic containers will be covered, but other plastics and materials such as tetrapaks and pouches are not to be included initially. The deposit will be set at 20p for all containers, and retailers of all sizes will be paid by the system to accept returns.

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September 5th, 2017

Scottish businesses, charities, social enterprises and local government have lined up to welcome the First Minister’s announcement during today’s Programme for Government speech that Scottish Ministers will introduce a deposit return system for Scotland.

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June 30th, 2017

Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, has today announced Scottish Government plans to commission options for a Scotland-specific deposit return system for drinks containers.

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February 23rd, 2017

Coca Cola have today announced their support for a deposit return system for cans and bottles in Scotland, stating in Holyrood Magazine [1] that “the time is right to trial new interventions such as a well-designed deposit scheme for drinks containers, starting in Scotland where conversations are underway”. This is an unprecedented move from the world’s largest manufacturer of soft drinks, which has historically opposed deposit systems around the world prior to their introduction.

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August 4th, 2016

In August 2016, Dundee University became the first of Scotland’s universities to join “Have You Got The Bottle?,” a Scotland-wide campaign to introduce a deposit return system for single-use cans and bottles. Dundee University took part in a Zero Waste Scotland pilot project in 2013, and, due to its popularity with students and staff alike has kept its reverse vending machines in operation ever since (1).

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March 22nd, 2016

On 22nd March 2016, Midlothian Council backed a Scottish deposit return system for drinks cans and bottles, as Aberdeenshire Council had earlier that month.

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March 11th, 2016

On 11th March 2016, Aberdeenshire Council unanimously backed Democratic Independent and Green Councillor Paul Johnston’s motion supporting the introduction of a deposit return system for single-use cans and bottles.

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March 4th, 2016

In March 2016, a month after Lithuania became the latest country to adopt deposit return for single-use cans and bottles in order to reduce litter, cut local government costs, boost recycling, and tackle climate change, those involved with the Lithuanian system urged Scotland to launch a deposit return system too.

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