DRS is mandatory for all drinks producers and everyone selling single-use drinks containers and bids to ensure at least 90% of recyclable drinks containers are captured and prevented from becoming waste.
The scheme, administrated by Circularity Scotland, the not-for-profit scheme administrator is set to go live in August 2023 and is expected to create about 500 jobs in Scotland to support the collection, sorting and counting of products within scope of the scheme.
Recycling plant plan
Circularity Scotland is also working with Biffa to explore the opportunity to build a PET recycling plant in Scotland to support the scheme and deliver further employment opportunities.
In May, Circularity Scotland announced it had secured £18m investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank and Bank of Scotland to support the initial set-up phase of the scheme.
The new agreement will see Biffa take responsibility for collecting billions of drinks bottles and cans from return points across the length and breadth of Scotland each year, as well as managing the bulking and counting centres that will process material for recycling.
20p deposit
DRS works by putting a refundable 20p deposit to all single-use PET plastic, aluminium, steel or glass drinks containers ranging in size from 50ml up to three-litre containers.
People will be able to return their bottles and cans to thousands of shops or hospitality sites across Scotland. Some venues will accept items over the counter, while larger stores, shopping centres and transport hubs will operate automatic collection points known as reverse vending machines.
Circularity Scotland chief executive David Harris said: “The DRS scheme is a key part of Scotland’s move to a circular economy. It is one of the most significant environmental infrastructure projects ever introduced in the UK and the most comprehensive deposit return scheme anywhere in the world.”
Last month, UKHospitality Scotland issued a warning about DRS, saying the scheme's complexity brings “inherent financial risks”.
