DRINKS producers have been warned that they risk not being able to sell their products in Scotland if they fail to sign up to the country’s deposit return scheme (DRS) by its March deadline.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) made the warning with it urging drinks producers to register for the scheme by March 1. SEPA said that any businesses with concerns can get in touch with it directly or the scheme’s administrator, Circularity Scotland, for advice and guidance.
Set to go live on August 16, the scheme applies to soft and alcoholic drinks sold in single-use containers between 50ml and three litres made from PET, plastic, glass, aluminium, and steel.
SEPA explained that producers will have to charge a 20p deposit on each container they place on the market and arrange for empties to be collected for recycling to meet collection targets.
Following the March 1 deadline, SEPA will publish and maintain a list of all producers who are registered to the market and sell their drinks in Scotland. Retailers, wholesalers, and hospitality businesses will be able to check this to ensure they only sell scheme-approved products from registered producers.
Vicki White, head of materials at SEPA, said, “As Scotland’s environmental regulator, SEPA is firmly focused on helping businesses do the right thing for our planet, take responsibility and become more sustainable.
“Scotland’s deposit return scheme supports a move away from a throwaway culture and gives producers a leading role in that behaviour change as they will be responsible for the environmental impacts of their products throughout their life cycle. This is a significant step towards developing a more circular economy.
“We are here to help throughout this change and have lots of guidance available on the scheme, information on which drinks are part of it and help with creating operational plans. While we expect most businesses to register via Circularity Scotland, we stand ready to support those who wish to register directly with SEPA.”
Registration for the scheme can be made via Circularity Scotland or directly with SEPA. More information can be found by clicking here.
