By Scott Wright

THE owner of an Aberdeenshire-based natural soft drinks company has criticised the Scottish Government for what she argues was a failure to adequately consult craft drinks suppliers on the introduction of a major recycling initiative.

A deposit return scheme will go live in Scotland in August 2023 after being delayed because of the pandemic. Designed to boost recycling rates, it will see consumers asked to pay a deposit of 20p when they purchase a drink in a single-use plastic, glass, steel or aluminium container.

Consumers will then be able to get the money back when they return the packaging to one of what is expected to be tens of thousands return points. It is hoped the scheme will result in around two billion bottles and cans being recycled in Scotland every year.

However, Scottish ministers have been accused of failing to take on board the concerns of smaller suppliers when developing the proposals.

Claire Rennie, founder of natural fruit soft drink producer Summer House Drinks, said the Scottish Government’s consultation had primarily focused on the views of major suppliers through the British Soft Drink Association, which she said represents around 90 per cent of the market, without acknowledging the observations of craft players.

“It’s a scheme that is going to impact so many different businesses, but they are only talking to the ones on the surface that it looks like it will affect,” Ms Rennie told The Herald.

“Take the soft drinks sector. I know it is very niche, but there’s probably now 10 craft soft drinks brands within Scotland. It has not hit what the craft beer guys have done, but it is really starting to get some good momentum.”

Ms Rennie expressed frustration that the views of the craft food and drink sector have been overlooked while ministers have taken on board the concerns of more industrial-based manufacturers.

She suggested that the deposit return scheme as it stands was at odds with attempts to promote Scotland as a food and drink tourism destination by celebrating the diversity of its artisanal producers, many of which are based in rural areas.

Ms Rennie said: “What’s frustrating is that the craft soft drinks guys do not put a whole lot of preservatives and chemicals into their products.

“It doesn’t tie-in with the whole good food nation that we are trying to do.”

As reported in The Herald on Saturday, Ms Rennie expressed concern that craft suppliers such as her own would have to pay for empty bottles to be collected from consumers who had purchased products online.

This could involve couriers being paid to travel long distances to return the bottles to Summer House, which she said would increase its costs to the extent her online business would be unviable, and increase the environmental footprint of her operation. Companies that sell soft drinks as part of hampers and florists that sell packages with bottles of Champagne or wine would also be affected in this way, Ms Rennie said.

Ms Rennie, whose firm makes natural fruit-based soft drinks and tonics, said: “There’s not been a lot of thought across the different government departments as to how this will actually impact [smaller suppliers].”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland’s deposit return scheme is a vital part of our response to the climate emergency, and small drinks producers will play an important part. The Scottish Government has engaged proactively with small drinks producers and we are confident that our scheme takes their needs into account.

“Extending the timetable for implementation of the scheme was a direct response to the needs of businesses, including drinks producers, whose preparations were affected by Brexit and the pandemic.”

The Scottish Government estimates that consumers will be able to return empty bottles to one of 17,000 return points across the country.