Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Sunak being urged to intervene to save Scottish deposit return scheme

Sunak being urged to intervene to save Scottish deposit return scheme
(Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Prime minister Rishi Sunak is being urged to directly intervene to save Scotland's deposit return scheme amid reports that it could be axed later this month if UK ministers do not give the go-ahead.

Lorna Slater said if an exemption from the Internal Market Act was not confirmed then the Scottish government would have to decide on its future. The BBC states that it understands UK ministers are unlikely to reach an early decision.


Slater told the Scottish Grocers' Federation that a lack of response could render the scheme "unviable". She said she was still working closely with the UK government to make the launch happen.

A UK government spokesman said it received a formal request for an exemption on 6 March, with the Scottish government having since paused the scheme until March of next year.

"It therefore hasn't been possible yet for us to fully assess the impacts of the exclusion request on cross-UK trade, firms and consumers," BBC quoted the spokesperson as saying.

"We will continue to engage with the Scottish government to realise our shared ambition to improve the environment while meeting the needs of consumers and businesses across the UK."

Meanwhile, groups such as Greenpeace UK, Keep Britain Tidy and the Marine Conservation Society have signed an open letter to Sunak, demanding the UK government grants an exemption for DRS in Scotland under the Internal Market Act – which regulates trade in the different parts of the UK following Brexit.

The exemption is needed as the scheme in Scotland is due to begin in March 2024, ahead of similar initiatives in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The letter, which has also been signed by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, WWF Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Keep Wales Tidy, also calls on Sunak to include glass bottles in the DRS schemes planned for England and Northern Ireland.

“The rollout of deposit return in Scotland in March 2024 will require an Internal Market Act exemption which we know is under discussion across Whitehall. Such an exemption will protect the substantial investment industry has already made in Scotland and ensure we start to see the environmental benefits as soon as possible," states the letter, adding that Scotland launching a DRS first could be “actively beneficial for England, Wales and Northern Ireland”, where the initiative is not due to come in until 2025.

“There remains one key obstacle to a truly UK-wide approach to the litter problem. While Wales and Scotland intend to include glass drinks bottles, as things stand glass is excluded for England and Northern Ireland.

“If this remains the case, it would either undermine the long-term interoperability of the various systems, or cost English businesses more, unnecessarily, when glass is subsequently brought in, as happened in Finland in 2011 and elsewhere.

“We would therefore urge you to intervene and bring forward a straightforward solution to this problem by including glass on the same basis as Scotland and Wales, alongside the Internal Market Act exemption for the Scottish system.”

The DRS in Scotland was delayed after Humza Yousaf was installed as First Minister.

The scheme will see shoppers north of the border charged a 20p deposit every time they buy a drink in a can or a glass or plastic bottle, with that cash given back to them when the empty containers are returned for recycling. It had been due to come into force in August, but its launch date has now been pushed back to March 2024.

More for you

Convenience store in UK retail park showing growth in 2024 PwC report
Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images

Improving picture for retailers; Convenience leads growth in store openings

Convenience stores emerged as largest growing category in terms of store opening last year, a recent report has stated, showing overall decline in chain outlet closures with 2024 having the second fewest closures in a decade, reflecting an improving picture for retailers.

According to Store Opening and Closing Data 2024 by PwC, a total of 12,804 shops and outlets belonging to multiples and chains (those with five or more outlets) exited UK high streets, shopping centres and retail parks in 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry O’Sullivan Appointed as New Managing Director of Diageo GB

Barry O’Sullivan

Diageo GB announces new Managing Director

Diageo GB has today announced that Barry O’Sullivan will become Managing Director of Diageo Great Britain, effective July 1.

Nuno Teles, the current Managing Director of Diageo GB, will move to Managing Director of Diageo Mexico. Nuno will continue in his existing role until Barry’s arrival.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK retail jobs decline to 2.84M in 2024 ONS report 2025
iStock image

Government urged to support struggling retail as jobs plummet

The number of retail jobs in 2024 slumped to the lowest since the data began in 1996, despite total jobs in the economy continuing to rise, shows the latest report by the ONS,

there were 2.88m jobs in retail in December 2024.This is traditionally the high point of the year, with retailers employing more people during the key Christmas quarter. The four-quarter average was 2.84m jobs, 70,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and 249,000 fewer than five years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
EUROSPAR 25th anniversary celebration with community charity event 2025

EUROSPAR is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a £25,000 giveaway

EUROSPAR 25th anniversary: community support

As EUROSPAR marks 25 years of serving local communities, the brand is celebrating its long-standing relationships with local charities, community groups, schools and sports teams.

To continue the 25th anniversary celebrations following their £25,000 giveaway, EUROSPAR is also giving away five family passes for the Belfast Giants end of season fixture.

Keep ReadingShow less