Up to 196,000 plastic bottles could be kept out of the environment in Stirling area with the launch of the forthcoming deposit return scheme which aims to encourage people to recycle more.
Figures published by environmental body Zero Waste Scotland this week revealed people in the Stirling Council area go through approximately 12 million plastic bottles every year and an estimated 217,000 plastic bottles are thrown away here.
The environmental agency has forecast a 90 per cent reduction in litter for the materials included in the scheme, meaning 196,000 fewer plastic bottles dropped in Stirling each year.
Under the scheme, shoppers will pay a 20p deposit when buying drinks purchased in most containers.
People will then get their money back when they return their empty container for recycling, giving them an incentive to recycle their empty bottles and cans.
New ‘reverse vending machines’ are proposed. They return people’s 20p deposit when bottle and cans are disposed of there.
Jill Farrell, chief operating officer for Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Our new figures reveal how Scotland’s deposit return scheme could visibly slash the number of littered plastic bottles in Stirling.
“We all hate seeing empty bottles and cans littering our streets, green spaces and beaches. The great thing about Scotland’s deposit return scheme is it will give people a 20p incentive to do the right thing with their empty bottles – take them back for recycling, rather than risk them ending up on our streets or in our rivers.
“Litter isn’t just an eyesore – it also pollutes our environment and seas. And for every bottle littered, more plastic has to be created, generating more planet-damaging emissions.
“When you take back your empty bottles to be recycled, you’ll not just be getting your 20p back – you’ll be doing your bit in the fight against the climate emergency.”
Plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans and glass bottles are covered by the deposit return scheme.
All types of drinks in these containers and all containers between 50millilitres and 3 litres in size are included.
Across Scotland, wherever people can buy a drink in a container made from one of these materials, they will also be able to return it to reclaim the deposit.
Online retailers will also be included in the scheme, ensuring it’s accessible to people that are dependent on online delivery.
The Scottish Government is expected to introduce legislation to enable the scheme later this year.
