In a stunning rebuke from within his own party, veteran SNP MSP Fergus Ewing has condemned Scotland's controversial Deposit Return Scheme as a "source of national shame" that has descended into complete chaos under the watch of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Green Minister Lorna Slater.
The ambitious recycling initiative, which was meant to position Scotland as an environmental leader, has instead become a £300 million "albatross around the neck of Scottish business" according to Ewing's explosive assessment.
The Collapse of Circularity Scotland
The scheme's implementing body, Circularity Scotland, collapsed into administration after Westminster refused to grant an exemption from the UK Internal Market Act. This left thousands of businesses facing financial ruin after investing heavily to comply with the scheme's requirements.
Ewing didn't mince words, stating: "This isn't just policy failure - it's a catastrophic meltdown of governance that will cost jobs and livelihoods across Scotland."
A Litany of Failures
The former Scottish Government minister outlined multiple critical failures:
- Rushed implementation without proper consultation
- Failure to secure essential UK-wide cooperation
- Threatening the survival of small breweries and drinks producers
- Creating massive uncertainty for the hospitality sector
- Wasting millions in public and private investment
Who Bears Responsibility?
Ewing's criticism extends beyond his former leader to current Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater, whom he accuses of displaying "staggering incompetence" in her handling of the scheme.
"When you combine stubborn ideological commitment with practical incompetence, this is the inevitable result," Ewing declared, highlighting the human cost of the policy collapse.
The Human Impact
Behind the political rhetoric lies a sobering reality: Scottish businesses now face the prospect of redundancies and closures due to investments made in good faith that have now been rendered worthless.
The scheme's collapse leaves a gaping hole in Scotland's environmental strategy and raises serious questions about the Scottish Government's ability to deliver complex policy initiatives.
As one industry insider commented: "We were promised environmental leadership - instead we got economic vandalism dressed up as green policy."
