Deposit Return Scheme

Through the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 (Opens in a new window or downloads a file), the Scottish Government is introducing a Deposit Return Scheme  for single use drinks containers, including metal cans and plastic bottles.  The scheme will go live on 16 August 2023.  People will pay a small deposit of 20p when they buy a drink in a single-use container and then get the deposit back when they return the empty bottle or can.

The scheme will affect all producers, retailers , wholesalers and hospitality businesses (») (Opens in a new window or downloads a file), with retailers having a legal requirement to accept returns of empty drink containers for collection for recycling.

Further Information is available from Zero Waste Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) webpage.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) (SEPA) enforce the regulations and have further information on their website.

Zero Waste Scotland (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) are handling applications for retail exemptions and voluntary return points.  Further Details are on their website.

Circularity Scotland (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) is an organisation that has been created to ensure the smooth roll-out and successful operation of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.