First Minister Humza Yousaf has accused the UK government of sabotaging Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) by excluding glass.
Glass bottles were a key part of Scottish proposals for the deposit return scheme (DRS), due to start in March – ahead of other UK schemes due to which Scottish ministers were seeking an exemption from the Internal Market Act.
On Saturday (27), the UK government confirmed it had accepted the Scottish government’s request “on a temporary and limited basis”. The exemption from internal market rules lasts from the launch of the Scottish scheme until other planned schemes are in place in the rest of the UK.
Scotland’s DRS will now cover PET plastic, aluminium, and steel cans only. The UK government agreed for the scheme to go ahead in Scotland, but said it wanted to ensure it “aligned” with plans in other nations.
“They’re not just trying to scupper the DRS – they’re trying to undermine devolution. We’ve seen it multiple times,” Yousaf told the BBC
“Not only is it bad in terms of devolution and self government, it’s really poor for the environment. If we don’t include glass that’s 600 million bottles that won’t be moved from our streets, our beaches and our parks.”
Yousaf previously claimed it would be a “democratic outrage” for the UK government to agree to the DRS excluding glass. He added that millions of pounds had been spent on a scheme that proposed to include glass.
He said he did not want to go ahead with a scheme that excluded glass, but would look at the various options.
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater, who had been driving the introduction of the DRS, said the Scottish Parliament had been “treated with contempt”. The decision to exclude glass meant she would have to look “very seriously” at the viability of the Scottish scheme, she said.
A UK government spokesperson said: “Deposit return schemes need to be consistent across the UK and this is the best way to provide a simple and effective system.
“A system with the same rules for the whole UK will increase recycling collection rates and reduce litter – as well as minimise disruption to the drinks industry and ensure simplicity for consumers.”
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