On Friday, November 4, a trial programme for the long-delayed Scottish Deposit Return Scheme was introduced in Orkney, giving islanders a chance to assist their community charities while preserving the environment. The initiative witnessed the installation of two reverse vending machines (RVM) at the Kirkwall location of Employability Orkney on Junction Road, which will sort, store and recyclable beverage containers like aluminium, plastic, and glass.
On Friday, Lorna Slater, minister for the circular economy, visited Orkney to formally introduce Return & Recycle Orkney. Orkney is an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland. Once the programme is implemented throughout Scotland, an additional £0.20 will be charged for goods sold in plastic, aluminium, or glass containers, including beer, soda, and water. The RVM will accept PET plastic bottles, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles from 50ml to three litres.
Return & Recycle Orkney, administered by Zero Waste Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government, will continue to operate until Scotland's national deposit return programme launches in August of 2023.
Zero Waste Scotland is a non-profit environmental organisation funded by the Scottish Government that aims to make Scotland a zero-waste economy, emphasising and highlighting the importance of recycling and reusing resources.
"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'sScotland's deposit return scheme goes live," said Lorna Slater, circular economy minister for the Scottish Government.
The £0.20 deposit will be returned to the customers only when they hand over the empty cans or bottles to the retailers over the counter or who will use the RVM technology. The state-wide programme is scheduled to launch in August 2023, making Scotland the first country in the UK to do so.
"Great opportunity for islanders to do their bit for their environment and raise funds for local causes at the same time. 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," said Jim Farrell, director of evidence and insights for Zero Waste Scotland.
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