A brewery boss has called for a new recycling project to be delayed.
The Scottish Government is set to introduce the deposit return scheme (DRS) in August in a bid to encourage people to recycle more bottles and cans.
But Allen Henderson of Sulwath Brewers in Castle Douglas feels the proposal in its current form is not fit for purpose.
He said: “It’s one of these things that is massively over-complicated and is going to prove to be stupidly expensive to producers.
“We do believe in recycling, we recycle just now and always have done. The whole industry does actually believe in it and there is a need for something, but it is so ill-thought out on so many levels.
“Until they have actually sorted it out, it should definitely be delayed.”
The DRS is due to begin on August 16, having been delayed from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
People will pay an extra 20p when they buy a drink in a can or plastic or glass bottle and receive it back when they return the container for recycling.
A motion to pause the scheme while an independent review is carried out was debated at Holyrood on Wednesday afternoon.
And Mr Henderson has major concerns if the initiative goes ahead as planned.
He said: “Everything has got to be marked going out and coming in, which means as a return point we will have to accept returns from all over the place.
“We have to find space to store it all because I don’t believe the proper infrastructure is in place to do the amount of uplifts they may need.
“I don’t know why glass is involved. It’s a lot more expensive to recycle and there’s very little in the way of glass lying out there.
“It’s due to come in across the rest of the UK in 2025 and won’t include glass.”
Mr Henderson also claimed firms will be charged for bottles that aren’t returned – even if the consumer chooses not to bring them back.
Castle Douglas and Crocketford councillor Iain Howie also has issues with the scheme.
He said: “I’m concerned that this unnecessary burden to businesses will inevitably result in higher costs to consumers during a time of unprecedented inflation.
“Dumfries and Galloway Council has heavily invested in recycling and I don’t believe that the introduction of this scheme will significantly improve recycling rates in our region.”
A Holyrood spokesperson said: “Scotland’s deposit return scheme goes live on August 16 this year and will make producers responsible for recycling the bottles and cans they put on the market.
“Similar schemes are common in other European countries and have been shown to be very effective in improving recycling rates and tackling littering.
“The regulations that established Scotland’s deposit return scheme were based on these schemes and passed with cross-party support in 2020.
“We understand that this is a big change, especially for smaller businesses, and Scottish ministers continue to work with affected businesses to address outstanding concerns and ensure the scheme launches successfully.
“This week, Circularity Scotland announced a £22million package of cash flow support to help give drinks producers the clarity and confidence they need to be part of the scheme.
“We will continue to listen to the concerns of businesses to ensure a pragmatic approach to implementation.
“While this will be a decision for individual businesses to make, we would encourage those with an interest to read the guidance on the Zero Waste Scotland website.”
