Inverness owner of Johnny Foxes hoping for a delay to controversial deposit return recycling scheme
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A city publican is hoping Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation will cause the government to row back on its plans for a deposit return recycling scheme.
Don Lawson, owner of Johnny Foxes in Inverness city centre and chairman of Inverness Pubwatch, is among a cross-section of figures in retail, hospitality and drinks production voicing doubts about the scheme due to come into force in August – but which traders have to sign up to imminently.
Mr Lawson said there had been “zero cosultation” on the policy that will see consumers pay a 20p deposit upfront per plastic, metal or glass drinks container purchased – refundable if and when they return it for recycling.
“We’re a licensed business and very visible from a governmental perspective, but the government has not sent any communication to me to tell me what I need to do,” Mr Lawson said.
“A deposit return scheme isn’t a new phenomenon. We used to hand back our Barrs’ bottles and many countries around the world have established their own such schemes (albeit we are not aware of any launched since the advent of kerbside recycling). “We are told that Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme exceeds all others in its environmental ambitions and there’s no question but that all the businesses and other organisations involved are fully supportive of the intent to deliver net zero. They have, themselves, instigated and invested in wide ranging environmental initiatives to this end.
“However, environmental policy requires effective implementation.
“The scheme is due to go live in August 2023 and there’s a huge amount of detail that has yet to be finalised before the producers, retailers/pubs and other affected parties can fully understand what steps they should take.
“I think it’s all part of a wider strategy of the Scottish Government’s to return to the days of Prohibition! Hopefully now, after Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement, the SNP will be in disarray and will pause the DRS – or hopefully abandon it – and work in tandem with the UK government who plan to deliver a workable scheme in 2025.”
“This makes planning difficult and is further complicated by the scheme imposing de-facto barriers to trade at Scotland’s borders unless and until other UK schemes are inter-operable.
“And this all comes after two years of tough trading through Covid, and also Brexit problems, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine are hitting supply chains, energy and business costs, and all this while consumers face a once-in-a-generation rise in their costs of living.”
He said everyone wanted to see a workable scheme for Scotland but he believed it would be better to have a scheme in place for the whole of the UK.
While Scottish Government minister for the circular economy Lorna Slater has said changes have already been made to address trader concerns and the scheme will now roll out as planned, Mr Lawson insisted: “There are serious defects which simply have to be addressed, otherwise the scheme will not succeed – and may in fact prove a very costly failure.
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing has also criticised the scheme.
Mr Lawson listed what he called “unintended and negative” consequences of the scheme as it stands including being likely to increase costs for both consumers and producers; for fraud – as he says it will make legitimate online sales of drinks products impossible; for smaller brewers facing “unaffordable “costs if they have to operate across UK markets using different systems; and for pubs and retail “faced with new obligations and costs for handling drinks containers while labour shortages and inflationary costs continue to bite.”
He added: “The risks of such damage are increased following the UK government’s announcement that they will not proceed with a Deposit Return Scheme for glass, which will see different schemes operating in the single UK market, with significant practical logistical problems and extra costs for labelling and distribution.
“The world is in a different place to where it was when the Deposit Return Scheme was ill thought up."
