This morning the press are reporting that the Scottish Government will introduce a deposit return scheme for drink packaging including plastic bottles and cans. This is the culmination of a campaign Eco-Congregation Scotland has been part of for the past eighteen months.

According to Sky News:

“Scottish ministers will now look at what DRS will work best, balancing the interests of the environment with the concerns of those opposed to such a scheme.”

When we first mentioned deposit return in our social media accounts and newsletter it got the biggest response of any issue we have been involved in. It seemed to strike a chord with Christians and churches so we officially joined the Have You Got the Bottle campaign.

Now, it looks like our campaign has been successful, with many retailers and drink manufacturers supporting the proposal. To see the potential benefits of a scheme like this for the environment and economy please click here.

We now need to wait for the official announcement and see exactly how such a scheme will operate in Scotland.

Thank you to everyone from churches across Scotland who took part, signed the petition or spoke to their MSP about this important issue.