Scottish islanders are being invited to help change attitudes towards single-use materials under a recycling scheme that will pave the way for deposit return. Delivered by ACR+ member Zero Waste Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, Return & Recycle Orkney will see citizens in Orkney place their drinks containers in two reverse vending machines for recycling. The initiative will run until Scotland’s nationwide deposit return scheme goes live in August 2023, the first in the UK nation. It will see customers pay a small deposit of GBP 0.20 when they buy a drink in a single-use container and then get the deposit back when they return the empty bottle or can.
 
Although consumers will not pay a deposit on drinks containers under Return & Recycle Orkney, the initiative will provide valuable insights to help shape the way Scotland’s deposit return scheme is rolled out to rural and island communities in Scotland. It will also give islanders the chance to try out using the machines that will be used in the deposit return scheme in advance of the 2023 launch.
 
Source: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk