Plans by Westminster to block Scottish bottle deposit scheme a ‘travesty’

Environmental campaigners furious Alister Jack intends to deny trade exemption for bottle recycling proposals

Blocking the Scottish deposit return scheme for bottles would be an environmental travesty, campaigners have said, in a growing backlash to the UK government plans to undermine the project.

The charity City to Sea, which has been pushing for a deposit return scheme (DRS) to tackle plastic pollution, said the UK government could have avoided the clash with Scotland by working with the devolved countries to deliver a unified deposit scheme years ago. Instead Westminster had repeatedly delayed its own deposit scheme, which was only coming into force in 2025 - seven years after it was first promised by ministers.