The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed new guidance from the Scottish Government on its Deposit Return Scheme which it says makes it much more workable and cost effective.
The new guidance, published today (November 4), makes the process of applying for an exemption from the regulations much less complex. While this does not change the eligibility criteria for exemption it does provide the following features:
1. A new return point mapping and exemption support service to help retailers identify an alternative return point, and to remove the requirement to share commercially sensitive information with other retailers.
2. Confirmation that the Scottish Government will take the size of a premises into account in determining the risk of breaching obligations relating to environmental health. A retailer is likely to be approved for an environmental health exemption if the footprint of their premises is 100m2 or less, or if they are a food-to-go retailer and the footprint of their premises is 280m2 or less.
3. Streamlined evidence and assessment processes that better take into account the challenges facing specialist, foodservice, and hospitality retailers. This should also speed up decision making for Scottish ministers, and provide clarity to retailers on the outcome of their application.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “This is a welcome step forward towards a workable Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland. We will work with our members to help them consider whether to seek an exemption or to make their store a return point. This will be a site-by-site decision and this new guidance makes it more likely that the right shops will act as return points in the scheme.
“The UK, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments should note the challenges that Scotland is experiencing in using an exemptions system to define a workable and economically viable network of return points. We need solutions now on how to map the right network of return points to meet our common objective of an effective Deposit Return Scheme operating throughout the UK.”
Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme is set to go live on 16th August 2023, and will include a range of materials including PET plastic, aluminium, steel and glass. Scotland aims to achieve a 90% collection rate for these materials by 2025.
To see the guidance click here.
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