Question reference: S6W-07114
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 9 March 2022
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Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the Valpak report, Deposit Return Schemes for Drinks Containers, and its findings that a majority of people prefer a kerbside collection scheme to be used for recycling.
Answer
Public support for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is high.
Zero Waste Scotland’s consumer research indicates that 71% of the public support the introduction of DRS.
Kerbside collection remains important since it enables people to recycle non-scheme items. Additionally, DRS will help local authority waste management services to free up capacity to support wider collection services and improve recycling rates on other materials.
Furthermore, DRS will significantly increase the quantity and quality of glass recyclate, creating an aggregated and high-quality feedstock for reprocessing.
We do not believe an enhanced kerbside scheme could deliver the level or rate of improvement that we will see through DRS. Packaging recycling rates have stalled, including for glass, and the current producer responsibility system is not driving improvement.
DRS should deliver an 85% collection rate for glass by the second full year of operation at the latest.