Scottish Parliament have voted to approve the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) regulations despite calls from industry, consumers, and opposition MSPs to delay.
Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, 13 May 2020), Scottish Parliament put forward the DRS regulations which were passed by SNP members (36), with the Conservatives voting against (16) and Labour and the Liberal Democrats abstaining (19).
Commenting on the result, Dave Dalton, British Glass CEO said:
“We were not alone in asking the Scottish Government to delay the DRS regulations until the impact of COVID-19 is known. Many businesses, including those part of our industry and supply chain are not in the position to face the additional burden the scheme will place on them.
“We continue to believe an alternative Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model would increase the recycling rates of glass, be more cost-effective and offer double the CO2 savings than a DRS in Scotland.
“Although we do not believe a DRS is the right solution for glass recycling, we will work with the Scottish Government and the scheme administrator to minimise the damage to the Scottish glass industry and to ensure the highest possible recycling rates to provide the vital quality and quantity of cullet needed for our glass manufacturers.”
