Call for Uk-wide bottle deposit scheme

Scottish ministers have called on the UK government to follow their lead and bring in a deposit return scheme for drinks bottles.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced in September the Scottish Government was to press ahead with such a scheme – with her environment secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, saying they had a “duty to demonstrate leadership”.

The Scottish Government has pledged to back the European Union’s vision to phase out single use plastics by 2030, with Ms Cunningham demanding the UK should do the same “Brexit or no Brexit”.

She made the plea as she addressed an audience of business and environmental leaders at Scotland House in London.

Ms Cunningham told them: “The Scottish Government is responsible for the environmental protection of around 10 per cent of Europe’s coastline so we have a particular duty to demonstrate leadership. But, of course, discarded plastics are having a growing impact on land as well as at sea.

“We believe a deposit return scheme for drinks containers has a vital role to play in protecting our environment.”