APRS worked with Surfers Against Sewage and Greenpeace to produce this briefing for MSPs on the possibility of yet another delay to deposit return.
Read More..November 15th, 2021
APRS worked with Surfers Against Sewage and Greenpeace to produce this briefing for MSPs on the possibility of yet another delay to deposit return.
Read More..August 19th, 2019
We’ve created a information sheet that gives answers to some commonly asked questions about Scotland’s upcoming deposit return system. You can download the document here.
Read More..June 3rd, 2019
In May 2019, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced the details of Scotland’s deposit return system. The system will include PET plastic bottles (for example fizzy drinks and water bottles), glass bottles and steel/aluminium drinks cans. All drinks that come in those container types will be included, both soft drinks […]
Read More..January 23rd, 2019
The Scottish Government are expected to announce their final decision on the design of Scotland’s deposit return system early in 2019. Which materials should an ambitious, world leading system include? The main arguments from parts of the drinks and retail industries seeking to be exempted or to limit their costs are around glass, larger plastic bottles, HDPE (the plastic used for milk bottles, amongst other things), and TetraPak cartons. We support an inclusive system that covers all materials used for drinks containers, including glass, metal and plastic.
October 23rd, 2017
A new report published this month finds that local authorities across England could save up to £35 million every year if a deposit refund system (DRS) for drinks containers was introduced in England.
Read More..August 30th, 2017
The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland recently submitted this extensive briefing on deposit return systems to the Scottish Parliament.
February 10th, 2017
Every day, millions of drinks cans and bottles are discarded, many ending up as litter in our countryside and in our seas. Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in our seas every year, killing marine life, threatening ecosystems and entering the food chain.
Deposit return means you pay a small deposit on every drinks can or bottle, which is refunded in full when you return your empty cans and bottles. More than a quarter of a billion people around the world use this system every day: it’s popular and it works, with many countries seeing 95% or more of their empty cans and bottles returned. This reduces litter, cuts costs for local councils, and boosts jobs in the circular economy.
Scotland was ahead of the curve on the plastic bag charge, and this is the obvious next step. With a deposit return system for Scotland we can not only help tackle our litter problem but also set a good example to the rest of the UK.
Sign our petition here.
February 3rd, 2017
In 2015, Zero Waste Scotland commissioned this research into the feasibility of a deposit return system in Scotland.
April 29th, 2016
Our campaign briefing note is available here.
April 29th, 2016
Our 2016 International Deposit Return Briefing is available here.
