Deposit return scheme 'should include' all drinks

Three-quarters of Scots believe all drinks containers should be included in Scotland’s deposit return scheme - up from 45 per cent in February last year.
The Scottish Government is set to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in 2021.The Scottish Government is set to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in 2021.
The Scottish Government is set to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers in 2021.

The Scottish Government is set to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in 2021.

The poll by Survation, found support for an ‘all-in’ DRS was strongest in the Highlands and Islands where 78 per cent of people agree the scheme should be as comprehensive as possible, according to the poll, commissioned by Nature 2030, an international coalition of businesses, politicians and campaigners.

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Dr Mark Dorris, senior research fellow at Edinburgh Napier University said: “It’s imperative we keep all drinks containers in the productive economy and outside of the environment. The more comprehensive Scotland’s DRS is the better.”

In 2018, the Marine Conservation Society recorded an average of more than 550 pieces of litter per 100 metres of beach surveyed in Scotland., while according to Zero Waste Scotland, litter causes at least a further £361 million in costs on society and the economy.

Neil Garrick-Maidment, founder and executive director of The Seahorse Trust, said: “We must do everything in our power to stem the tide of plastic pollution.

“The Scottish Government must ensure the deposit return scheme disincentivises the purchasing of plastic bottles. Time is running out for nature. We can’t afford to mess this up.”