A Scottish Government minister has hinted a controversial recycling scheme could be scrapped within days.
Lorna Slater blamed Westminster for the threat to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Scotland, despite the project being repeatedly delayed amid a furious backlash from businesses.
The Scottish Green MSP claimed it was “essential” to secure an exemption from the UK Internal Market Act if the scheme is to proceed.
She told a meeting of Scottish retail bosses yesterday that if no exemption has been secured by the end of May, the Scottish Government will have to make a "proactive decision" as to whether it is "viable".
The DRS would introduce a 20p deposit on the price of drinks in cans and bottles which is repaid to the consumer when they are returned to a retailer or a reverse vending machine.
The scheme has come under fire from multiple business groups, which forced Humza Yousaf to announce a further delay until March next year.
Conservative MSP Maurice Golden today dismissed Slater’s claims as a “red herring”, saying that if the scheme fails it will be the Scottish Government’s fault.
"It's an utterly bizarre intervention, to be honest, and it’s a red herring on the exemption," he said.
“My understanding is that while an exemption would be welcome, the financial viability of this scheme is not encroached upon by an exemption from the Internal Market Act.
“This is again Lorna Slater and the Scottish Government attempting to stoke constitutional grievance.”
Golden said everyone wants to see the DRS operate successfully and he claimed Slater has decided the scheme would be “too difficult”.
Pressed on why the UK Government has not yet given an exemption under the Internal Market Act, which regulates trade around the UK, Golden said there are not yet enough details available.
He said: “It’s reasonable that we want to know what the scheme is before anyone can make a decision over whether an exemption could be granted.”
On Thursday, Slater said: “We have engaged with the UK Government in good faith on the exclusion for Scotland’s deposit return scheme for nearly two years now.
“Despite following the mutually agreed process, we have still to be given necessary assurances that this will be provided in good time.
“This is creating uncertainty and confusion for all the businesses that have worked so hard to prepare for the scheme going live.
“I urge the UK Government to agree the exclusion by the end of May at the latest.
“Doing so is absolutely essential to the successful delivery of the scheme.”
Environmental groups including Greenpeace UK and Keep Britain Tidy signed an open letter to Rishi Sunak, demanding the UK Government grants an exemption for DRS in Scotland under the Internal Market Act.
They told the PM that businesses in Scotland have “already invested hundreds of millions of pounds” ahead of the scheme being brought in, and they “would be substantially out of pocket if the launch date was changed again”.
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