In the many other countries where a deposit return system is in place, 90%+ of drinks containers are returned for recycling.

The deposit return system separates glass, aluminium and plastic bottles and cans at the point they are returned. This means the materials don’t get contaminated – eg. plastic isn’t mixed with broken glass – so the system results in a large amount of high quality materials, which in turn are very valuable.

A Scottish deposit return system would mean billions of these high quality containers being sent to recycling facilities. They would need to create more jobs to deal with the increase in containers and would have more recycled materials to sell. A strong and stable recycling sector could also attract more investment, as investors would feel confident that Scotland’s businesses would continue to grow.

Research has shown that if there was a UK-wide system, the overall amount of jobs created would be between 3,000 and 4,300. In Scotland, it is estimated that roughly 500 jobs will be created across the country in bulking centres alone.

As Scotland’s tourism industry contributes £4bn to the economy, it is vital that we reduce the litter we see in our countryside, towns, and waterways for both residents and tourists alike. Deposit return has the potential to greatly decrease our litter rates, ensuring that our landscape is kept beautiful for everyone to enjoy.

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