Chamber and committees

Glass bottles remain in high demand from drinks manufacturers, in particular in high-growth sectors such as gin and whisky. We are committed to working with industry to maximise the economic opportunities associated with the high-quality feedstock of recycled glass which the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will bring.

There is currently limited evidence from other schemes to suggest a widespread switch away from single-use glass to other materials as a result of a DRS. In other countries where glass market share has fallen, it is recognised that other trends, such as a reduction in the use of refillable glass bottles, have been a factor.

As set out in the draft Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations, published on 10 September 2019, where a hospitality retailer exclusively sells drinks for consumption on site, the cost to that hospitality retailer of materials used to collect and store scheme packaging may be met through a handling fee charged to producers or a scheme administrator acting on their behalf.

Where a hospitality retailer also sells drinks for take-away, they will be required to operate a return point (or apply for an exemption). In that case the cost of collecting and storing scheme packaging may be met through a handling fee on the same basis as for any other return point.

Zero Waste Scotland is working to encourage the development of domestic reprocessing infrastructure in Scotland, including the potential for expansion of existing capacity to attract inward investment and through initiatives such as the £18 million Circular Economy Investment Fund.

As indicated in the response to S5W-25762, the analysis in the Business Regulatory Impact Assessment suggests that the deposit will not have a significant impact on consumer choice in terms of type or size of format. The decision to pursue a scheme design which maximises consumer convenience and targets a high capture rate should help to mitigate any impact. The deposit amount does not increase the price of the product, as the deposit will be returned in full. It should also be noted that there is a wide range of business and consumer behaviours that dictate product choice.

The Scottish Government believes that deposit return represents the best opportunity to deliver increases in the quantity and quality of glass recyclate. We acknowledge that its inclusion will increase the cost and complexity of the scheme, but the Full Business Case Stage 1 that has been published for the scheme demonstrates that it will also deliver substantial additional benefits.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with stakeholders on plans for implementation of the scheme, including through its Implementation Advisory Group. That work builds on extensive evidence gathered from other international schemes, a number of which successfully collect glass.

There is currently limited evidence from other deposit return schemes (DRS) to suggest a widespread switch away from single-use glass to other materials.

The introduction of deposit return will significantly increase the quantity and quality of all target materials including recycled PET plastic, creating an aggregated and high-quality feedstock for reprocessing. We are committed to working with industry to maximise the economic opportunities associated with this and, in particular, are exploring the opportunities associated with the re-processing of PET plastic captured through the scheme.

As set out in the ‘Consultation on reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system’ published in February 2019, the UK Government, Scottish Government, and other devolved administrations intend to establish new extended producer responsibility arrangements for all household packaging waste.

The proposals include a requirement that producers cover the full net cost (taking account of revenue from the sale of materials for recycling) of managing their packaging at end-of-life. Analysis cited in the consultation suggests that at present less than 7% of the cost of managing that waste is covered by producers.

Glass capture rates in different European countries reflect a number of policies and practices acting in combination over time, with the existence of long-standing extended producer responsibility schemes and the adoption of pay as you throw consumer charging measures often featuring.

Scotland’s DRS has been developed with Scotland’s unique policy, infrastructure and existing performance levels in mind and our intention is that it will operate alongside Scotland’s kerbside collection and bring site arrangements.

As set out in the answer to S5W-25865 on 5 November 2019, the performance target for DRS is based on experience of other high-performing DRS schemes in Europe and is therefore considered to be ambitious but achievable.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) will significantly increase the quantity and quality of glass recyclate from single-use drinks containers. While it will be for drinks producers to manage material collected through the scheme, we are committed to working with industry to maximise the economic opportunities associated with this high-quality feedstock.

30 out of 32 Councils have signed the Scottish Household Recycling Charter and the supporting Code of Practice. The Code of Practice is being reviewed to ensure that it aligns with our new deposit return system, and it is the intention of the Scottish Government that there will continue to be kerbside and bottle bank collection of glass alongside DRS.