Call for August 16 to be national litter day due to delayed DRS

August 16 should become Scotland’s annual national litter day, a charity has suggested, marking one of the days the deposit return scheme (DRS) was initially meant to begin.

While the scheme has been delayed several times, the date of August 16 2023 was announced at the end of 2021.

The start date was later pushed back to March 2024.

Following the UK Government’s refusal to allow glass in the scheme, it was again delayed to October 2025 at the earliest.

Action to Protect Rural Scotland said the repeated delays had led to millions of drinks cans and bottles going to waste.

Director Kat Jones said: “Every day, more than 2.5 million cans and bottles are wasted across Scotland, resources lost to landfill and incineration or abandoned in our environment.

“Today should have been the day we started, as a society, to get on top of this problem via deposit return, but a combination of corporate lobbying, Westminster interference and Scottish Government timidity means it’s business as usual yet again.

“With that in mind, we think this date is a fitting day to mark Scotland’s first National Litter Day.

“A day when the lobbyists who sought to block Scotland’s deposit return scheme can congratulate themselves on the success of their campaign, while our communities and environment suffer another year with so much avoidable litter.

“At any point UK ministers could abandon their disruptive ban on the inclusion of glass, and at any point Scottish ministers could bring in deposits on cans and plastic bottles.

“If neither change their approach many more national litter days await Scotland’s towns, beaches and countryside.”

Circular economy minister Lorna Slater said: “We want a Scotland that is free of the blight of litter.

“Our recently published litter and flytipping strategy sets out actions that will help make our streets, parks and public spaces free of rubbish.

“The UK Government’s 11th hour intervention left us no choice but to postpone the launch of Scotland’s deposit return scheme.

“The Scottish Government remains committed to the delivery of a successful deposit return scheme.

“However, the onus is now on the UK Government to provide the clarity that is needed for any scheme to move forward.”

A UK Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government paused its deposit return scheme so that it starts at the same time as the UK Government’s scheme.

“Schemes need to be consistent across the whole of the UK, to provide a simple and effective system for businesses and consumers.

“We will continue to work with the Scottish Government, and the other devolved administrations, on a UK-wide deposit return solution.

“The UK Government remains unwavering in its commitment to improving the environment, while also upholding the UK’s internal market.”