ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have accused businesses of seeking to further delay Scotland’s planned deposit return scheme.
Supporters of the initiative hit out after Food and Drink Scotland told MSPs they believed the “right time to go” would be September 2023.
Those comments came from Jim Fox, speaking in his capacity as associate director of the trade body.
Fox is also the head of public affairs at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners – with campaigners claiming a large proportion of bottles and cans dumped as litter come from the drinks giant.
Supporters of deposit return now fear businesses are trying to “push ministers off course” by lobbying for a further delay.
When implemented, the scheme will see shoppers pay a 20p deposit when buying drinks in cans and bottles, with the money returned to them when they return the empty containers for recycling. The coronavirus pandemic saw the start date pushed back till July 2022.
But addressing Holyrood last month circular economy minister Lorna Slater could not say if that would be when it will be introduced.
A further update is due to be given to MSPs tomorrow.
Speaking ahead of that Jim Mayhew, director of the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) which runs the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign claimed industry were now “lobbying for yet another delay”
Mayhew insisted: “A year is roughly the length of time it’s taking other countries to bring in deposit return during a pandemic, so there’s no reason not to move just as quickly here.
“Businesses in Scotland aren’t any different to anywhere else, they’re just trying to delay an effective system.
“There is nothing new or difficult here, and we are disappointed that such weak arguments are being used to try to push ministers off course.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel