McArthur: SNP and Greens could shatter business confidence in DRS

27 Feb 2023
Liam McArthur MSP

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for businesses to sign up to the Deposit Return Scheme, Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has warned that confidence in DRS risks being “shattered” without a pause to fix the problems and concerns of businesses. 

Tuesday’s deadline for producers to register with SEPA would see them commit to a three-year contract with only limited knowledge of how the scheme will work in practice. If they do not register, businesses may not be able to sell their products in Scotland. 

Commenting ahead of the deadline, Mr McArthur said:   

“If Scottish Ministers continue to blunder on regardless, they risk shattering business confidence in DRS itself. 

“The Scottish Government has prioritised haste over detail. Vital questions remain unanswered, putting businesses in an impossible position and leaving many worried about their future. Small businesses, in particular, are extremely vulnerable and Scotland’s drinks sector, jobs and consumer choice are all under threat.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats were the first to call on the government to learn from successful deposit return schemes across Europe which have helped to reduce waste, emissions and litter. However, this requires government to work in tandem with those at the sharp end.  

“This SNP/ Green Government must press pause and take stock if it is to avoid harming businesses, damaging public confidence and undermining the case for a deposit return scheme."

This website uses cookies

Like most websites, this site uses cookies. Some are required to make it work, while others are used for statistical or marketing purposes. If you choose not to allow cookies some features may not be available, such as content from other websites. Please read our Cookie Policy for more information.

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the website to function properly.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
Marketing cookies are used by third parties or publishers to display personalized advertisements. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.
Administrator preview
Live version at www.scotlibdems.org.uk