Delay to the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme

A spokesperson from the Food and Drink Federation said:

“We welcome today’s decision by the Scottish Government to delay the Deposit Return Scheme and align to the UK scheme, expected to be launched in October 2025. Our members fully support the implementation of DRS and have made significant investments to support the launch of the Scottish scheme, and we will now need to assess the implications of the delay.

“Our businesses are working to stretching sustainability targets and take their responsibility to our natural environment very seriously, which is why we want to see a circular economy established rapidly, designed with industry and consumers at their heart. We hope governments across the UK will now take the time provided by this delay to go back to the drawing board on their waste reform proposals, to ensure that everything including consistent collections, DRS and EPR can be delivered successfully, learning the lessons from the collapse of the DRS scheme in Scotland.”