A pilot project for the long-delayed Scottish Deposit Return Scheme has been launched today in Orkney, allowing islanders to help the environment and support local charities at the same time.
Previously planned for a start date of April 2021, Scotland’s bottle and can recycling project has faced numerous setbacks.
Once the initiative is rolled out across Scotland, £0.20 will be added to the price of products like fizzy drinks, beer and water sold in plastic bottles, cans and glass.
The consumer then gets their £0.20 deposit back when they give their empties to retailers over the counter, or by using technology called reverse vending machines (RVM).
The nationwide scheme is due to start in August 2023, which would make Scotland the first UK nation to introduce such an initiative.
Similar to schemes in countries like Sweden, it is intended to increase recycling quantity and quality in Scotland.
But ahead of the launch across the country, Zero Waste Scotland is trialling out the scheme with a similar project in Orkney.
What will the Return And Recycle Orkney project involve?
The pilot scheme will be called Return And Recycle Orkney, and will be delivered by Zero Waste Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.
It will operate until Scotland’s nationwide project goes live in August next year.
It includes several elements of what the national scheme will involve, but not all of them — and is designed to provide “valuable insights to help shape the way Scotland’s deposit return scheme is rolled out to rural and island communities”.
It will help test the operation of RVMs, and the transport of recycling and collected materials.
Unlike the official nationwide scheme, Return And Recycle Orkney will not result in consumers having to pay an extra deposit on drinks containers.
Where will the reverse vending machines be, and what cans and bottles will they accept?
Two RVMs will be situated at Employability Orkney, on Junction Road in Kirkwall.
Every drinks container returned and recycled at the machines will generate a £0.05 donation to a charity on Orkney.
Employability Orkney will get all the donations throughout November and December, and any other charities wishing to benefit from January to August should visit this link to find out more.
The machines will accept PET plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans, and glass bottles between 50ml to three litres in size.
All containers must be emptied of any liquids, and their lids must be kept on.
They should also not be crushed, as this will prevent the machine from sorting them.
Plastic bottles like milk cartons won’t be accepted, but can still be recycled through household recycling collections during the pilot scheme.
Deposit return scheme will help battle climate crisis
Lorna Slater, circular economy minister for the Scottish Government, will officially launch Return and Recycle Orkney today.
She said: “This is a fantastic project that will make it easy for people in Orkney to recycle their empty drinks bottles and cans.
“Better recycling facilities will help keep litter off our streets and green spaces, while reducing the needless waste and emissions that are driving the climate crisis.
“I look forward to seeing these benefits experienced in communities all across the country next year when Scotland’s deposit return scheme goes live.”
‘A great opportunity for islanders to do their bit for the environment and help charity at the same time’
Jim Farrell, director of evidence and insights for Zero Waste Scotland, said Return and Recycle Orkney is a “great opportunity for islanders to do their bit for their environment and raise funds for local causes at the same time”.
He continued: “Initiatives like this have real potential to transform our behaviour towards single-use materials, which is a must if we’re serious about tackling the climate emergency.
“It is fantastic to see Return & Recycle Orkney go live.
“It is a significant milestone and I look forward to the valuable insights it will provide.”
Conversation