The Scottish government’s update to the MSPs on the deposit return scheme (DRS) still leaves questions to be answered, the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has said.
The letter sent by Lorna Slater, Minister of the Circular Economy, to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee is “symptomatic of the problems that are being encountered,” Pete Cheema, SGF chief executive said.
The scheme is due for introduction in August 2023, and Cheema said with just eight months to go, there are a range of issues “either crucially still outstanding or belatedly, ill-thought-out moves being made to start resolving them.”
“The Deposit Return Scheme Gateway Review: Final Report – which was submitted to the Senior Responsible Owner on 1st June with recommendations for future action – stipulated that within three weeks of the final report, for the need to provide intended actions for addressing each recommendation. Why has it taken until December for the Scottish government to publish this report when we are so close to go-live? That is not good enough. The operational risks are still outstanding and have not been dealt with,” Cheema said.
Cheema added that the SGF remains fully committed to a fit for purpose DRS, but the convenience sector needs ‘critical answers’ on a range of issues.
“We have spent significant time with the government proposing changes and improvements to the scheme that we are still waiting to see enacted by Parliament. Along with this, the convenience industry despite significant efforts to engage are still not being given critical answers in relation to binding commitments on store scheme uplifts, community points, financing and cross over period that is impacting our members ability to plan effectively,” he added.
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