Question reference: S6W-07117
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 6 April 2022
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Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 29 April 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decision in the Republic of Ireland to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic and cans only and not glass, and what its position is on the impact that adopting a similar approach to that being taken in Ireland or in Wales, regarding the implementation of recycling policy aims, would have on cost, complexity, practical, financial and logistical considerations, when compared with the anticipated impact of its proposed Deposit Return Scheme on the same considerations.
Answer
Any decision by the Republic of Ireland to exclude glass from their deposit return scheme (DRS) is a matter for them.
The Full Business Case Stage 1 for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), published on 8 May 2019 (pp36-37), considered the costs and benefits of including glass within the scheme and concluded that glass should be included due to the substantial environmental and economic benefits. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to this position, which is also that taken by the Welsh Government.