Scotland will soon be the first part of the UK to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. It will be available across all of Scotland and will make it easier for everyone to recycle their used bottles and cans, including all drinks sold in PET plastic, metal and glass.
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme has been designed to make it easy for us all to do the right thing. People pay a small deposit of 20p when they buy a drink in a single-use container and then get the deposit back when they return the empty bottle or can.
Legislation was laid in the Scottish Parliament in September 2019. Once these regulations are passed by the Scottish Parliament, which is expected to happen early next year, there will then be an implementation period of at least 12 months before the scheme starts.
Deposit return schemes are already established in many countries where they are helping to tackle climate change and reduce litter. Scotland is joining them, with a scheme designed to meet our unique needs, to tackle our throwaway culture and help protect our environment for generations to come.
The scheme has been designed to work for everyone in Scotland. It will improve recycling rates, increase the quality of recycling materials, and significantly reduce litter.
20p deposit on drinks containers
77% of Scots want a Deposit Return Scheme
31,000 fewer plastic bottles littered every day
67,000+ additional tonnes recycled each year
17,000+ return points nationwide
90% of containers included in the scheme will be captured for recycling
£61million a year could be saved tackling the indirect impacts of litter
4million tonnes of CO2eq emissions will be cut over 25 years
The latest press releases, news articles and blog posts on Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme.
Zero Waste Scotland is inviting stakeholders to join our Deposit Return team for a webinar on the 25th of November from 11.00am – 12.30pm to discuss how Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will operate in the Scottish islands.
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will place a 20p deposit on all drinks (both soft and alcoholic) that come in PET plastic bottles, metal cans and glass bottles. Consumers will pay the deposit when they buy a drink and get it back when they return the container for recycling.
Zero Waste Scotland has today (Thursday 10 October) announced a series of events to present Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme to island communities across the country.