UK Rejects Scottish Government's Request to Include Glass in Deposit Return Scheme

The UK government argues that an exemption to the Internal Market Act for the deposit scheme includes only cans and plastic bottles and that a separate glass scheme may lead to competitive disadvantages for Scottish businesses.

Circularity Scotland, the firm running the deposit return scheme, believes the scheme is still viable without glass.

The UK government wants to ensure that any Scottish scheme works in the same way as the one planned for the rest of the UK.

If the Scottish government goes ahead with the scheme, it is expected to launch in March 2024 with a 20p charge on drinks containers, which will be refunded upon return, with a target of 90% for remelting and reuse of glass rising to 95% once the scheme is launched.