Residents to have their say on Scotland's deposit return

The Zero Waste Scotland team will be at Barrhead Foundry to give local people an opportunity to share their thoughts on how a deposit return scheme could work best for them – making their views count on choices such as the level of deposit, which products should have a deposit on them, where they should be able to take their empty drinks containers to get the deposit back, and whether they’d like the option to donate the deposit instead.

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. A public consultation on a deposit return scheme for Scotland was officially opened by the Scottish Government on June 27, 2018, and will last for three months.

Andrew Pankhurst, Recycling Campaigns Manager, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We have been really encouraged by the response from members of the public at all the events so far and we are looking forward to visiting Barrhead Foundry and hearing from the local community. Now that a public consultation on a Scottish deposit return scheme is live we want as many people as possible to have their say; by doing so, you’ll be helping us consider how a deposit return scheme could work best for Scotland.

“We’ve all seen the footage from Blue Planet II of the tragic effects that items we commonly use can have on wildlife when they end up in our oceans and landscape. That’s why we’re going out and about across Scotland to ask for people’s views on a Scottish deposit return scheme – which represents a huge opportunity to improve recycling, reduce litter and create economic opportunities for Scotland at the same time, so we urge you to come along and speak to us on the day.”

Councillor Alan Lafferty, Convener for Environment at East Renfrewshire Council, said: “We are proud of our recycling record, as the first and only council in Scotland to achieve recycling rates of 60%. Our residents are committed to diverting as much waste as possible from landfill and so I would urge them to have their say on the potential for introducing a Scottish deposit return scheme for empty drinks containers.

“The event at The Foundry will give local people the chance to put forward their views on this important matter.”

The event takes place at Barrhead Foundry tomorrow (Wednesday, September 19) from 11am to 3pm.

For those who can’t make it to an event, there will be a webinar (date to be announced soon) available where you can learn more about a deposit return scheme for Scotland.

More information is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website Zero Waste Scotland.