The Scottish government has asked Zero Waste Scotland to investigate design options for a deposit return scheme (DRS)- bringing the implementation of such a scheme one step closer to fruition in Scotland. Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish environment secretary, announced on 30 June that it had commissioned Zero Waste Scotland to carry out “detailed work” on design options and the associated costs and benefits of how a DRS could operate in Scotland. Cunningham confirmed that options would then be put out for public consultation before ministers made a final decision. Cunningham said there were “a number of issues” for the Scottish Government to consider when it came to DRS. The announcement came on the same day Zero Waste Scotland published a report about these issues and how they should be investigated. The areas pinpointed include how recycling rates could be boosted by a DRS, the potential anti-litter impacts of one and how consumer behaviour might be expected to change.
