Has Scotland got the bottle to turn back the clock? Call for return of bottle deposits to beat country’s litter menace

The popular recycling scheme – familiar to generations of Scots – was ditched last year, but former environment minister Richard Lochhead is calling for a U-turn and for a wider return scheme also including cans and plastic bottles to be introduced.

Support for the introduction of such a scheme has been growing steadily and Mr Lochhead will lead a pitch to MSPs at a Holyrood event later this month asking them to back it.

The charm offensive will attempt to persuade the politicians by drawing on the positive experiences of other countries such as Germany, Norway and Sweden and research from Zero Waste Scotland suggesting the move would save local authorities £13 million a year.

“The results from deposit return schemes around the world are phenomenal,” said SNP MSP Mr Lochhead.

“Recycling rates go through the roof and litter is reduced.

“We live in too much of a throwaway

Irn-Bru had a deposit scheme for decades. society and there’s no doubt that momentum is building towards a move like this in Scotland.”

If the idea attracts enough support in the Scottish Pa r l i a m e n t , it could be implemented within two years.

Last week, The Sunday Post revealed the growing concerns of leading environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Operations director Carole Noble fears the litter situation will deteriorate as

■