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au NEWSLETTER SIGNUP My account Log Out Jun 16, 11:14 AM AEST Business News Sports Technology Entertainment NEWSLETTER My account Log Out Australia edition Business News Sports Technology Entertainment Editions Australia India International Singapore United Kingdom United States NEWSLETTER Follow Us Editions Australia India International Singapore United Kingdom United States Business UK hospitality sector not against recycling but fears red-tapism from Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme As per the scheme, customers will have to pay 20p as a deposit when they purchase things in containers like bottles of wine and jars. By IBTimes Staff Reporter 06/16/23 AT 11:13 AM AEST Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Share on Flipboard UK hospitality sector not against recycling but fears red-tapism from the Deposit Return Scheme. IBTimes UK The United Kingdom's trade association from the hospitality industry, UKHospitality which represents many businesses in this sector has welcomed the Deposit Return Scheme delay in Scotland. Several pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes and other businesses are part of this organisation. Hence, their opinion on this matter echoes the sentiments of the industry. What is the Deposit Return Scheme? As per the scheme, customers will have to pay 20p as a deposit when they purchase things in containers like bottles of wine, jars, etc. The deposit will be returned to consumers once they return the containers. There are some penalties reserved for retailers and producers not abiding by the schemes. The scheme is likely to come into effect from March 1, 2024, if it goes through. However, not all containers will fall under the Deposit Return Scheme. Only containers made of PET plastic, glass and metal come under this. Milk carton plastic isn't part of this. Also, the capacity of the containers is essential here. This is only applicable to containers having a capacity range of 100 ml to 3 litres. Earlier, the starting range was 50 ml but now it has been increased to 100 ml. This scheme is only applicable in Scotland. As per the scheme, these containers have been designated as "scheme containers" and their constituents labelled as "scheme articles". With this scheme in place, Scotland will be the first region in the UK to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme on drinks containers Why this delay? As per a Scottish government's announcement on June 7, the Deposit Return Scheme has been deferred till October 2025 over some issues raised by the UK government. The UK government has agreed to a full exclusion of this scheme from the Internal Market Act. They have asked for certain conditions to be imposed on the scheme so that it follows the pattern of all other schemes applicable throughout the UK. Under these concerns, materials like glass have to be removed from the scheme. Scotland isn't happy with this and they are asking for more details from the UK government. Scotland feels that businesses can't implement this scheme with certainty if all elements aren't clear to them. Hence, the decision to defer the scheme was taken after consulting key businesses in the hospitality sector. Scottish Circular Minister Lorna Slater reiterated this when she informed the Scottish parliament that they have no other option than to defer the scheme Slater made it clear that the government is committed to DRS and it would come sooner or later. She wrote to the UK government on June 6, urging them to negotiate and reset the good faith in Circularity Scotland and DRS partners in Scotland. Slater has put the onus on the UK government regarding the delay of the scheme. A relief for the hospitality industry This delay has set a sense of relief amongst hospitality business owners in Scotland. From this, we can gauge the mood of the industry regarding the Deposit Return Scheme. The Executive Director of UKHospitality Scotland, Leon Thompson echoed the same sentiments when he said that the organisation is happy that their concerns were heard. Thompson reiterated the inept nature of the scheme which many businesses in the hospitality sector raised concerns about. This made it impossible to launch the scheme by March 1, 2024, and the UK government's intervention has further strengthened that. What needs to be done? To make this scheme simple and easily adaptable for businesses in the hospitality sector it needs to be aligned maximally with other schemes and should be interoperable with all other schemes applicable across the UK . Since this is the third time the Deposit Return Scheme has been delayed, it is important that all governments come together and launch a joint approach, said Thompson. Genuine sustainability schemes needed Thompson underlined that hospitality businesses are not against recycling. In fact, they are the best recyclers in business. It's the burden of red-tapism and the added cost that the industry is afraid of. "It's better to work a scheme that truly upholds sustainability and seeks to achieve environmental targets," Thompson further added. REGISTER FOR FREE to continue reading ✔️ Unlock the full content of International Business Times UK for free offer available for a limited time only ✔️ Easily manage your Newsletters subscriptions and save your favourite articles ✔️ No payment method required Already have an account? Log in © Copyright 2023 IBTimes UK. All rights reserved. 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