SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has said Scotland’s upcoming deposit return scheme (DRS) could cause “economic carnage” and promised to halt its implementation.
Forbes, who is in the running to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader, was speaking during a visit to Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore on Monday (27 February). She described the controversial DRS as an example of a “good idea badly executed”.
“What businesses need is a bit of breathing space,” Forbes added. “They have gone through Covid, Brexit, the cost of living, their energy bills have gone up exponentially and the government should be giving them a bit of space rather than putting additional complex bureaucratic requirements on them.”
The three SNP leadership contenders, Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan, have now said they will either pause or change the DRS.
Yousaf called for a “year’s grace period” for small firms, which Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater has said she is already “actively considering”. Regan has said if she is successful in her leadership bid she will redesign or scrap the scheme.
The government should be giving them a bit of space rather than putting additional complex bureaucratic requirements on them.
Scotland’s DRS has drawn criticism – some of which was addressed by Scotland’s Circular Economy Minister – including that its regulatory approach isn’t aligned with the rest of the UK.
From August, when the scheme begins, consumers will be charged an extra 20p when they buy single-use containers, which they can earn back by taking their empty can, glass or bottle to reverse vending machines (RVM) placed across Scotland.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, urged MSPs to halt the planned launch of the DRS in August, instead pressing them to wait until all UK nations have a unified approach to the scheme. A call that was dismissed by Scotland’s Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater.
In what would be a severe blow to the scheme’s rollout date, Jack has also suggested that the UK government may not grant an opt-out from the UK Internal Market Act.
