Today (18th April) Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP announced that there will be a delay to the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), as part of a speech on his priorities for government over the next three years.
The Scottish Deposit Return Scheme was due to go live on 16th August but will now be delayed until 1st March 2024. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have also announced plans for a Deposit Return Scheme, coming into force in 2025.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We are disappointed that we’ve not been able to meet the timetable for DRS in Scotland, but local shops will welcome the additional time to ensure that the scheme can run as smoothly as possible when it is introduced next March. Despite the delay, there will still be a 19-month period where the scheme will be operating in Scotland but not in the rest of the UK and this will cause issues, particularly for wholesalers and smaller suppliers.
“It is important to remember that businesses at all levels of the supply chain will need to commit to tackling the significant operational challenges that the introduction of DRS will present, in order for it to work effectively for businesses and consumers. This is still a tight timetable but we will continue to engage with the Scottish Government and support retailers with the implementation of this scheme.”
The First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will be working with businesses and Circularity Scotland to ensure that the scheme is ready for March 2024.
In addition to the announcement on DRS, the First Minister also confirmed that the Scottish Government will be taking a fresh look at the proposals in the alcohol advertising consultation, working with industry and public health representatives during this process.
The full announcement is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/new-leadership-fresh-start-scotland-first-ministers-speech-18-april-2023/
