ENVIRONMENTAL compliance data specialist Ecoveritas has described the delay to Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) as a ‘triumph for common sense’ and a decision that enables a rethink.
First minister Humza Yousaf has announced that Scotland’s DRS will not launch until March 2024. The scheme was due to come into force in August this year, with the aim to increase recycling, reduce litter and help achieve net zero goals.
“This is a sensible delay,” said Ecoveritas chief strategy officer Andrew McCaffery. “The costs were escalating and clearly, the full cost of implementation had not been assessed. You have to question the merits of paying approximately £1,200 per tonne (based on the Producer Fee) for the collection of plastic bottles through a DRS compared to approximately £200 per tonne if collected by a local authority through kerbside collection – all for an increase in recycling rate from ~73% to 90% by year two.
“Costs were always going to be passed down to consumers. We’ll never know the answer to whether politicians ever had a real appetite to commit to doing this during a cost-of-living crisis, and with elections not too far down the road. Without the Scottish Government’s full support, the scheme would likely never have been as effective as intended. Therefore, a delay, rethink and collaborative approach to a UK-wide scheme represents the best way forward.
“What is clear is that there were major question marks over the scheme’s readiness for launch this August and a real lack of confidence. It failed to garner the kind of support from businesses needed to make it a success. These concerns have common touch points with EPR for packaging. There were plenty of interested observers regarding Scottish DRS, and it perhaps sounds an ominous warning concerning wider waste strategy.”
While the first minister said he remains committed to the scheme and that the extra time would be used to simplify and ‘de-risk’ the initiative, McCaffery revealed that ‘more immediate work’ is needed.
“You do have to feel for responsible businesses that have kept on top of this legislation, developed and changed to meet these new requirements,” he added. “Any delay penalises those that have acted quickly.
“You have to wonder whether there might be temporary support or reimbursement for those who have diligently prepared and significantly invested. Businesses require clarity and quickly. This seven-month delay must be used to re-establish its purpose. And there must now be significant involvement from all affected business areas, many of whom have been put through lots of undue stress and anxiety.
“We are also now left wondering what’s going to happen to Scottish DRS material that’s not currently included in EPR in 2023.”
