The owner of the Esson’s of Huntly shop has revealed he has refused to sign up to the controversial bottle return scheme branding it “airy fairy” due to lack of detail.
Graeme Esson, who has run the Costcutter store in Huntly’s Gordon Street since 1967, made the decision after realising he was facing potential set-up costs of £20,000.
He said the deposit return scheme (DRS), run by Circularity Scotland, “doesn’t make sense” with too many unanswered questions.
However, he does describe himself as “the biggest anti-litter person you will ever find” and supports DRS, just not the one being implemented in Scotland.
What is DRS?
When the deposit scheme comes into force at the end of August, consumers will have to pay an extra 20p when they buy drinks in single-use containers.
They then earn their money back by taking their empty can, glass or bottle to vending machines placed around the country.
But smaller companies have repeatedly claimed the new law will hurt them by increasing costs when they are already being financially squeezed.
Producers, retailers and businesses had until March 1 to sign up to the scheme.
Too many unanswered questions
Mr Esson still has many questions about the scheme.
He said: “Currently you are getting quoted £12-£15,000 for the machine and I don’t know if that includes or is plus VAT.
“But you then take the cost of inputting a machine like that with joiners and shop fitters and it’s not going to be long before you add another £5,000 on to it.
It just doesn’t make sense or add up. Too many unanswered questions.”
“It’s so grey the whole thing. How are they going to pay you the money? How often are they going to collect it. Everything is so airy fairy about it.
“At the moment business is under extreme strain.
“From the point of view of staffing and all the other things we’ve to take care of, how can we make any investments without anything concrete on how it’s going to go?
“It just doesn’t make sense or add up. Too many unanswered questions.”
Support package
Circularity Scotland recently announced a £22 million support package to help business owners ahead of the introduction of the controversial bottle recycling scheme.
The new initiatives included a pledge to remove the day one and month one charges for all producers, up to a threshold of three million units per year.
It is also providing two month credit terms on deposits and fees up to the same volume threshold to reduce the working capital impact on all producers.
But for Mr Esson it is not enough and he has doubts over the stability of the whole scheme, also criticising the fact it is only being implemented in Scotland and not the rest of the UK.
He said: “For them to do it on a Scottish-only basis it crazy. It should be UK-wide.
“The big manufacturers have signed up to it because they have no option.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m the biggest anti-litter person you will ever find. I have no objection to a DRS, but I do have an objection to this one.
“The trouble with signing up is you’ve got a company called Circularity Scotland and who is running it? You become financially liable by signing up.
“So why would you? We’ve been in business since 1967 and it’s been a hard slog. I don’t know enough about it.
“If you look at it with a business head it doesn’t make sense to me.
“I don’t know what the fine is but I’m probably cheaper paying that.
“I’ve no faith in the Scottish Government to get it right.”
Bring ‘economic ruin’
Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett raised the issues facing Mr Esson at parliament.
He said: “The SNP may claim they are delivering for communities in the north-east, yet their policies undermine Scottish business.
“Policies like the deposit return scheme which will bring economic ruin to firms across Scotland.
“One small business in my constituency, Essons of Huntly, is facing costs of £20,000 to implement DRS.
“Why should businesses in the north east trust this SNP government, when, time and time again, they proceed with damaging or incompetent policies?”
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