Store giants in U-turn to back deposits
SCOtLAND’S biggest retail trade body has announced a u-turn to support the introduction of a radical scheme to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution.
the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), which represents some of the biggest stores and high street chains, said a deposit return scheme (DRS) on drinks containers can help boost recycling and clean up Scotland’s streets.
the body has previously been resolutely opposed to the idea but has been working with the Scottish government on detailed designs for the scheme, which are expected to be unveiled within weeks.
And it is now demanding that SNP ministers work with their Westminster counterparts to ensure that the same scheme is introduced across the uK.
the decision of Scotland’s biggest retail trade body to back the scheme is another major victory for the Scottish Daily Mail’s ground-breaking campaign, launched last year, to ‘Banish the Bottles’.
under the innovative proposals, customers would pay an additional charge on every plastic or glass bottle or can, which would be refunded if they return their empty containers to collection points.
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, head of policy at the SRC, said: ‘Whilst we have had some reservations, we know how important tackling plastic waste is to our customers and for the environment.
‘We have been developing a system that will tackle waste but does not diminish the success of local authorities in kerbside recycling.’
He added: ‘If introduced and implemented in the right way, a DRS could help tackle the gaps in the current [recycling] provision, improving the quality and quantity of recycling whilst reducing littering.’
the Mail launched a trailblazing campaign last year calling for the introduction of a deposit return scheme to tackle the 130,000 containers which are dumped in Scotland’s streets, beaches and public places every day.
the Co-op and Iceland have since given their full support, while tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have all said they want to work with the government on proposals.
the support of the SRC is the clearest signal yet that the scheme could secure the backing of major retailers.
Mr MacDonald-Russell said that it is ‘fundamental’ to the success of the DRS that it is introduced as a ‘consistent, single uK-wide scheme’.
He said that failure to do so would leave it ‘open to fraud which would cripple its viability’.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: ‘Scotland has shown leadership as the first in the uK to commit to a deposit return scheme.’
She added: ‘We want to work with the uK government and other devolved administrations to help create the best scheme possible to reduce litter in our towns and protect our environment.’