It was announced on 7 June 2023 that the launch of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will be delayed until at least October 2025. The full statement is available to view on the Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/news/deposit-return/

Who is a producer?

A drinks producer is:

  • The drinks brand owner (if branded in the UK)
  • an importer of drinks into the UK
  • an online retailer. selling the drinks for the first time in the UK to consumers in Scotland
  • someone selling drinks in single-use containers that are filled and sealed at point of sale (e.g. a crowler - A 32oz aluminium can, usually used to contain beer).

What do producers need to do?

As a producer you must:

  • register with SEPA (either directly or through the scheme administrator);
  • pay the registration fee (if turnover is greater than £85,000)
  • charge a 20p deposit on each scheme article you make available for retail sale in Scotland;
  • arrange for collection of your empty scheme containers;
  • pay a reasonable handling fee to retailers and return point operators to cover the cost of the collection and storage at return points;
  • meet collection targets;
  • refund deposits to customers.

Producers are also required to keep the following information for at least four years:

  • the number of items available for sale each year
  • what they are made of
  • the number of items returned by wholesale or retail
  • the number of items collected from each collection point and whether they were sited in a retail or hospitality business.

Drinks producers can either meet their obligations themselves or nominate a scheme administrator to fulfil these obligations on their behalf.

Registering as a producer

Producers must register with SEPA to be part of the scheme. If you are not registered as a producer, retailers cannot sell your drinks to consumers in Scotland.

Producers can either:

  • register directly with SEPA
  • register through the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, who will act on their behalf.

To register, producers must pay the annual registration fee of £365 (if turnover is greater than £85,000), provide information as required in Schedule 1 of the DRS Regulations, and submit an operational plan that sets out how they will comply with their obligations in Regulation 10 and Regulation 11.

If a producer chooses to register through the scheme administrator (Circularity Scotland), they will register you with SEPA and submit an operational plan on your behalf.

Producers will be able to register with SEPA.

Registrations will need to be renewed annually. This should be done between 1 January and 1 March each year.

Information about registering is available on the SEPA websites and the Circularity Scotland website (scheme administrator).

Following registration, producers need to notify SEPA if:

  • any material changes are made to the information submitted at registration (within 28 days of changes taking place)
  • if they stop being a producer.

Return of packaging

Producers will have to accept the return of their empty drink containers (scheme packaging) by any retailer or wholesaler that they sold them to for sale to consumers in Scotland.

They will have to pay the 20p deposit for each item returned.

This also applies to items that were sold and returned by a return point operator ( e.g. reverse vending machines), from hospitality businesses or, from distance or online takeback sales.

Pay a reasonable handling fee

Retailers, return point operators or hospitality retailers will have some costs associated with the collection and storage and transport of returned empty drinks containers (scheme packaging). Producers will need to pay a reasonable handling fee to them in addition to the 20p deposit.

The handling fee will be determined annually. Further information about handling fees is available on the Circularity Scotland website.

Meet the collection targets

Your operational plan needs to state how you will achieve the collection targets that have been set for drinks containers.

These require you to collect:

  • 80% of the items you sold in Scotland in the second year of the scheme
  • each year after that you must collect 90% of your drinks containers placed on the market in Scotland. To achieve the 90% figure, you must collect a minimum of:
    • 85% of all PET containers
    • 85% of glass containers
    • 85% of aluminium or steel containers.

Further Information

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