Biffa awarded decade long contract to run the deposit return scheme in Scotland
From next year we'll pay a 20p deposit when we buy canned or bottled drinks
Last updated 19th Jul 2022
Waste management company Biffa has won a 10-year contract to handle the logistics of the Scottish Government’s £80 million deposit return scheme which is due to launch next year.
The deposit return scheme will see shoppers pay a 20p deposit when they buy drinks in cans and bottles – with the money given back to them when they return the empty containers for recycling.
Biffa will then handle the collection of the bottles and cans from around 30,000 locations across Scotland and is also building three new sorting centres which are expected to create about 500 jobs.
Chief executive of Biffa, Michael Topham, said:
"This appointment is testament to the strength of Biffa's reputation as a sustainable waste management provider to complex markets, our extensive capabilities and world-leading recycling infrastructure."
Meanwhile, non-profit company Circularity Scotland will be responsible for administering the scheme.
Delays
The launch of the deposit scheme had originally been planned for July 2022, but has been delayed to August 2023 after a review found the original deadline was not achievable.
Co-leader of the Scottish Greens and Circular Economy Minister, Lorna Slater, has said there will be planned “milestones” for the project.
Earlier this year, she explained this would include an awareness campaign as well as the construction of the construction centres in August.
However, opposition MSPs have raised concerns about Circularity Scotland being a limited company rather than a public body - saying ministers were not in charge of it.