Scotland is due to rollout a DRS on 16 August 2023, with a 20p deposit, covering all single-use drinks containers made of PET plastic, steel and aluminium, or glass.
All retailers who sell, to consumers on their premises, in-scope drinks for take away must operate a return point.
The pilot scheme, called Return & Recycle Orkney, is funded by the Scottish Government and will run until the country’s nationwide DRS goes live.
Consumers will not pay a deposit on drinks containers but will get a 5p donation to charity for every container returned. The initiative will aim to provide insights and help shape how Scotland’s DRS is rolled out to rural and island communities.
The tender for the DRS pilot was launched in April, when the Scottish government said it was examining private sector options for rolling out the initiative. The rollout is in line with the Scottish government’s initial plans, which aimed to have the scheme running by November (see letsrecycle.com story).
Both schemes have potential to drive up recycling quality and quantity, as well as reduce litter, according to ZWS.
‘Significant milestone’
Commenting on the launch, circular economy minister Lorna Slater said: “This is a fantastic project that will make it easy for people in Orkney to recycle their empty drinks bottles and cans.
“Better recycling facilities will help keep litter off our streets and green spaces, while reducing the needless waste and emissions that are driving the climate crisis.
“I look forward to seeing these benefits experienced in communities all across the country next year when Scotland’s deposit return scheme goes live,” she added.
Jill Farrell, director of evidence and insights at ZWS, explained that “initiatives like this have real potential to transform our behaviour towards single-use materials”. They noted that the Orkney initiative was a “significant milestone” in Scotland’s DRS journey.
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