It’s a joyous day when I find a 24-can pallet of Irn-Bru Sugar Free reduced to £8. There is, however, a change looming over such happy occurrences.
 
Today, the Scottish government will update MSPs on the next steps in the deposit return scheme (DRS). The scheme works by each consumer paying a 20p deposit on most drinks containers. The consumer can return the container and redeem the money at a designated shop or via a ‘reverse vending machine’. Extra costs will be charged to drinks producers while a quango, Circularity Scotland, administers the scheme.
 
The scheme has been a long time coming. The legislative powers to establish it were first set out in 2009 and the process leading to the forthcoming system began in 2015. Despite a start date long scheduled for July 2022, there are reports that today’s statement will announce the delay of the scheme until 2023. Such a pause could undermine the Scottish government’s ambition to become the first part of the UK to implement a DRS.
 
The Scottish government has pre-emptively blamed any delay on Brexit and Covid. These issues were, however, well advanced when, at May’s election, the SNP recommitted to the July 2022 start date. Indeed, one of the SNP’s own former MSPs, Angus MacDonald, has claimed there is now no good reason for a delay.
 
Any delay is likely to be a small but superable embarrassment to a government that has used Glasgow’s hosting of Cop26 to promote its environmental credentials. Little wonder, then, that any such announcement has waited until after the conference. For Lorna Slater, the Green minister overseeing the scheme, it’s a poisoned chalice. The real harm, though, is for consumers, vendors, and producers who are in the lurch over when and how they will adapt to the scheme.
 
Take the issue of intra-UK divergence. The scheme will create costs for producers selling to Scotland. Some may decide to withdraw from the Scottish market, reducing choice for consumers. In a 2019 consultation on a DRS, most business respondents sought a UK-wide scheme.
 
For the moment, I’ll continue to save £4.80 in deposits on my next palette. For businesses and consumers, however, today’s announcement may bring more waiting.