THE SCOTTISH Government is to push ahead with plans to launch a deposit return scheme next August despite more than five hundred hospitality industry leaders calling for a pause.   

In an open letter to Lorna Slater, they have warned of an “impending catastrophic impact" if the plans are not revised. 

The scheme, which aims to cut plastic waste, boost recycling and reduce littering by introducing a deposit on all bottles and cans, was supposed to be up and running earlier this year.

However, it was delayed after industry called for more time.

Representatives from the Scottish Hospitality Group, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, and the Scottish B&B Association, as well as drinks makers and senior figures from Punch Pubs & Co, the Crieff Hydro and Virgin Wines have now repeated that call.

Everyone buying a drink will pay a 20p deposit on the glass, metal or plastic container it comes in, for all sizes between 50ml and three litres. 

This deposit is then refunded when they return the empty container to any one of 35,000 collection points – this could be over the counter to any retailer or through a reverse vending machine.

Speaking to the PA, Blair Bowman, who organised the letter, said the could see some smaller-scale drink producers stop selling in Scotland.

Mr Bowman said: “There will be lots of producers I think that choose overnight not to sell their products in Scotland any more because of the amount of extra paperwork involved.

“I’ve already had phone calls with producers here who are heartbroken that they are actually considering stopping selling their products in Scotland, their home market, because of this system.”

He said: “Most of the producers think there is going to be 30p or more on to the actual cost because there’s going to be extra labelling involved, there’s going to be extra distribution involved, all these extra things are going to be added to selling in Scotland, and those costs have to be put on to someone, which will be the customer.”

The letter has been signed by representatives from distillers including the Kingsbarns Distillery, Linlithgow Distillery, Orkney Distilling Ltd, Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd, the Dornoch Distillery, the North Uist Distillery, Kilchoman Distillery on Islay, and the Summerhall Distillery Ltd.

Senior figures from beermakers at the Kelburn Brewery, Innis and Gunn, Arran Brewery, Cromarty Brewing Co, Williams Bros Brewing Co and the Highland Brewing Company Ltd have also put their names to it.

Mr Bowman said the industry was still trying to recover from Covid, Brexit and skyrocketing energy costs.

"This is something they don’t ned right now.

“That is why we are calling for a delay to launch, so it can be fully revised to work with the industry.

“The government keep regurgitating this is made for the industry, by the industry. But that is just not the case. There wouldn’t be people signing this thing if they didn’t think there was problems with it.

“Everybody wants to recycle, it’s not as if anybody who has signed this is against doing better. We’re going to have to make difficult lifestyle changes because of the way the world is going and Cop27 is on this week and we are going to have to make adjustments.

“But this will make things worse. So much of it just doesn’t make sense.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland’s deposit return scheme will recycle billions of bottles and cans a year and forms a vital part of our plans to create a circular economy.

"It will cut climate emissions, tackle littering, and directly address public concerns about the impact of plastic and other waste on our environment.

“The deposit return scheme is an example of producer responsibility and, rightly, places the cost burden on producers to deal with the bottles and cans they place on the market at end-of-life.

"Similar schemes have already proven successful in many European countries and we are confident that ours will deliver similar results.

“In line with the polluter pays principle, and just like similar schemes around the world, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered by industry.

"The scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, is an industry-led body, representing drinks producers, retailers and trade bodies.

“They are responsible for operating the scheme and for setting producer fees.

"The Scottish Government is engaging with Circularity Scotland and industry representatives to understand and work through any concerns that emerge as the scheme is implemented.

“Last week, for example, we issued new guidance on the return point exemptions process following engagement and feedback from business, which will make the scheme more efficient.

"We will continue to work in this way with industry as we move towards the go live date in August 2023.”