Rick Hindley, executive director of Alupro (Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation) said:

“Alupro welcomes today’s report by the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee which identifies the need for a variable deposit as part of the deposit return scheme for drinks containers. We have worked hard to ensure the voice of the aluminium packaging industry is heard, with our main concern being the plan to attach a flat rate deposit of 20p to all containers, of any size.

“Our consumer research showed that a £4.80 deposit on a 24-can multipack was very likely to drive people away from infinitely recyclable cans and towards larger, plastic bottles, where the same amount of liquid could be purchased with just an 80p deposit. This would result in the purchase of millions more plastic bottles – an unintended consequence we’ve been highlighting through our #MakeDRSWork campaign.

“It is also reassuring that the Committee has identified the need to review the baseline data on recycling, an issue we highlighted in our evidence.  I’m delighted that as well as the plastics issue, MSPs have also considered the potential health impacts of a flat rate deposit. I hope this very encouraging report translates into a final scheme that achieves its environmental ambitions and is fair for all.”

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