Wholesale chief pushes Holyrood on deposit return scheme

The Scottish Wholesale Association has demanded a seat at the table to administrate the Scottish Government’s proposed deposit and return scheme (DRS).

The proposed deposit return scheme could see an extra 140,000 cans and bottles recycled each day in Scotland. Picture: Philip Toscano

The membership of the proposed board for the DRS, an initiative for recycling drinks containers, currently includes only retailers, manufacturers and producers.

Presenting at the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee at Holyrood, chief executive Colin Smith said: “Wholesalers are critical to the implementation and success of DRS in Scotland and that vital role should be reflected with a position on the administrator board for the SWA.”

Smith also highlighted the fact that the wholesale association is the only "pivotal" part of the supply chain that is not compensated in any way under the current DRS proposals, either through a handling fee or as members of the administrator.

Scottish Wholesale Association chief executive Colin Smith. Picture: Contributed

He added: “Indeed, as the wheels of Scotland’s food and drink industry the wholesale channel will deliver DRS-obligated products to Scotland’s 4,972 independent retailers and 39,000 restaurants, pubs and clubs and can therefore play a hugely important role in helping to identify fraud.”

Research suggests the new scheme will see an extra 140,000 cans and bottles go to recycling instead of trash each day across the country.