BPF issues response to Scottish Government's announcement about DRS

The British Plastics Federation has issued the following statement in response to the Scottish Government announcing that it intends to implement a deposit return scheme for aluminium and steel cans and drinks containers made of glass and PET plastic:

A comprehensive deposit return scheme (DRS) that includes all materials is to be welcomed if it boosts recycling rates and encourages a culture where everybody recycles as much as possible and creates less waste.

However, we need to introduce these schemes carefully so they do not significantly raise the price of products, disadvantage smaller retailers or cause major disruption to existing recycling schemes.

The UK has established kerbside collection schemes, unlike any other country to implement a DRS, which will need time to adapt if a DRS significantly alters the quantities of key materials collected from the home. A DRS is also less exposed to fraud or being undermined if it is nationwide with consistent labelling.

In light of the above and the fact that reforms to extended producer responsibilities are currently being examined, it makes sense to aim to implement a UK-wide, multi-material DRS once extended producer responsibilities have been clarified and any complications that arise in Scotland have been resolved.

We hope implementing this multi-material scheme in Scotland goes smoothly, increases investment in its recycling and waste management infrastructure, and sets a fine example for what can be achieved across the UK.