‘Relief’ for Scottish hospitality as Deposit Return Scheme delayed until October 2025
The flagship recycling initiative was supposed to launch in March next year, but Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater told MSPs yesterday afternoon (7 June) that she had been left with no choice but to delay its implementation after the UK Government ruled that glass must be removed from its remit.
UKHospitality Scotland previously warned that more needs to be done to ensure the scheme works for operators and doesn’t become another form of taxation on businesses.
Leon Thompson, UKHospitality Scotland executive director, has welcomed this latest delay.
“Hospitality businesses across Scotland will be breathing a huge sigh of relief hearing this news and I’m delighted that the concerns raised by UKHospitality Scotland have been heard loud and clear,” he says.
“The Deposit Return Scheme, even before recent UK Government interventions, was not ready to launch in March and businesses had made that clear to the Scottish Government.
“Evidently, those interventions have made the prospect of launch impossible.”
This is the third time the DRS in Scotland has been delayed and the latest postponement means it is now scheduled to come into force at the same time England, Wales and Northern Ireland introduce theirs.
Leon said it is now imperative that there is a joined up approach from all governments ahead of the scheme going live.
“It’s crucial that there is maximum alignment and interoperability across all schemes, to make things as simple as possible for businesses.
“Businesses are not against a recycling scheme – far from it. Hospitality already has one of the best recycling records in the economy and we can do even more, but a Deposit Return Scheme needs to work for businesses. It cannot be yet another piece of red-tape that is costly and burdensome.
“It’s time for work to begin on a scheme that can genuinely achieve the environmental and sustainability ambitions we all have, with true engagement with business.”
