Scottish shoppers will be paid 20p for returning single-use plastic bottles under a new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) set to launch across the country in October 2027. The initiative, which will also roll out in England and Northern Ireland next year, is designed to reduce litter and increase recycling.
How the scheme works
Consumers will receive a small payment of 20p when they return single-use plastic bottles to dedicated collection points. These points will be located at supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons and Tesco. Under the new rules, wholesalers will also be required to host DRS points, although hospitality sites in Scotland will not be.
Exchange for Change, the not-for-profit body responsible for delivering the DRS across the UK, is overseeing the scheme. A small deposit will be paid when buying a drink, which will be refunded once the container is returned.
Environmental impact
The 20p deposit will apply to all single-use drinks in PET plastic, steel and aluminium containers between 150ml and three litres. According to the Scottish government, the upcoming DRS will reduce litter by around a third and increase drinks recycling by 90 percent, while reducing carbon emissions from lower production of disposable materials.
First proposed for Scotland in 2017, these initiatives are widely adopted internationally and are said to have "shown to significantly increase collection rates and reduce waste and pollution."
Infrastructure and jobs
Exchange for Change has confirmed that a total of 6.5 billion drinks containers are discarded across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland every year. To support the launch, the body has confirmed the creation of a new UK recycling infrastructure, with different companies appointed for each region. The Re:Group, alongside Hargreaves Services PLC, will work for Scotland.
Set to "unlock millions of pounds" and create around 700 jobs, the infrastructure will include three DRS facilities across Scotland, Scunthorpe and Guildford, two DRS processing lines at Isle of Dogs and Newry, and one shared-use plastics recycling facility in Avonmouth.
Russell Davies, Exchange for Change CEO, said on the 20p deposit announcement: "The deposit value is a pivotal part of how the deposit return scheme will work in practice. That’s why we’ve engaged widely with industry, undertaken extensive market research and in-depth analysis on how schemes work in other countries.
"This work has identified that a flat 20p deposit is the most proportionate and sustainable amount for the UK. Confirming this now, with just under 18 months to go until the DRS is live, will help producers and retailers with their planning and preparation for the scheme, and we will continue to support them closely throughout this process."
While the DRS will make the new rules mandatory as of October 2027, supermarkets and retailers across the nation have been cutting back on the production of single-use plastic to be more environmentally friendly, with some now offering fully plastic-free packaging on products including toothbrushes, cleaning products and alcohol. Aldi and Tesco have scrapped coloured caps for clearer alternatives to make them easier to recycle.
