Edinburgh residents are thanked for their contribution as the public consultation on a national deposit return closed on Tuesday (25 September). Zero Waste Scotland took the conversation around the country gathering views from people, including many Edinburgh locals who took the time to share their opinions.
Throughout the summer, people across Scotland had the opportunity to inform what kind of deposit return scheme they would like, at events across the country – from festivals, to visitor attractions, shopping locations and community centres. Zero Waste Scotland hosted roadshow events in each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including an event at the Edinburgh Mela.
For those who couldn’t make it to an event, Zero Waste Scotland produced a webinar, which is still available online and has been viewed 7000 times to date.
Under a deposit return scheme, customers pay a small deposit when they buy drinks in, for example, a bottle or a can, and then get the deposit back when they return the empty container for recycling. The public consultation on a deposit return scheme for Scotland was officially opened by the Scottish Government on 27 June 2018.
Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “A deposit return scheme in Scotland will create opportunities to further develop our recycling infrastructure in Scotland, create jobs and help tackle the problem of litter.
“There has been great interest in how the scheme will function and how it will benefit Scotland, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the consultation. I’d like to thank everyone who participated. Each and every view captured will help shape how the scheme will work for us.”
The consultation responses will now be analysed and survey data collected from the national roadshow will also contribute to the decision-making surrounding the design of a Scottish deposit return scheme.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We’d like to thank the people of Edinburgh for taking the time to share their views – this will greatly help us deliver the best possible deposit return scheme for drinks containers for Scotland, one which suits our specific requirements as a country. A Scottish deposit return scheme will boost our efforts to recycle more and prevent litter from polluting our landscape.
“Zero Waste Scotland has delivered a comprehensive programme of engagement with key stakeholders across the country, followed by a nationwide drive to gather views on the scheme from residents in every local authority in Scotland. We were determined that as many people as possible would have the chance to have their say.
“The large number of people that have engaged with the consultation shows the appetite in Scotland to live a more sustainable lifestyle and be more considerate of in how we dispose of things.”
Prior to the launch of the public consultation, Zero Waste Scotland undertook a full programme of engagement with key stakeholder and representative bodies for trade, industry, manufacturers, retailers, and local authority groups.
Zero Waste Scotland research shows over 64,000 tonnes of plastic food packaging and plastic bottles is thrown away into household general rubbish bins and sent to landfill every year in Scotland, costing the country a staggering £11million each year. Meanwhile evidence shows countries with deposit return schemes operating overseas can reach over 90% recycling for targeted drinks containers, such as bottles and cans, and the schemes have a proven beneficial impact in tackling litter.
More information on deposit return is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website at www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/deposit-return-scheme
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