Deposit return scheme to clean up Orkney

As many as 45,000 plastic bottles could be kept out of the environment in Orkney Islands thanks to a pioneering new scheme that aims to encourage people to recycle more and litter less.

This is according to figures published by Zero Waste Scotland, which reveal the scale of plastic bottle dumping in the Orkney Islands. Now, the environmental body hopes that this will be reduced by Scotland’s forthcoming deposit return scheme.

Under the scheme, shoppers will pay a 20p deposit when buying drinks purchased in single-use plastic or glass bottles and aluminium or steel cans. People will get their money back when they return their empty container for recycling. The aim of that 20p will be to give people an extra incentive to recycle their empty bottles and cans, and make people think twice about dropping them.

“Our new figures reveal how Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme could visibly slash the number of littered plastic bottles in the Orkney Islands,” said Zero Waste Scotland’s chief operating officer, Jill Farrell.

“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.”

Further figures from Zero Waste Scotland also show that Orkney goes through an estimated 2.78 million plastic bottles every year. An estimated 50,000 plastic bottles are littered in the county each year. With a 20p incentive not to throw away your empties, Zero Waste Scotland anticipates a 90 per cent reduction in litter for the materials included in the scheme. This would mean 45,000 fewer plastic bottles dropped in Orkney Islands each year.

With plastic bottles only one of the materials included in the scheme, the overall impact on litter is expected to be even higher. Steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles will also be part of the scheme. The Scottish Government is expected to introduce legislation to enable the scheme later this year. For more information about Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, you can visit www.depositreturn.scot