Publication - Impact assessment
Addendum to Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020: October 2026
This is an Addendum to the Final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment for The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 (as amended by the DRS Amendment Regulations 2026); and the DRS for Scotland (Designation of Scheme Administrator) Order 2026.
Intended outcomes
18. The DRS will increase recycling rates of single-use drinks containers to at least 90%, significantly cut littering, and expand opportunities to collect and reprocess high quality materials.
19. The proposed amendments are intended to:
- Ensure SEPA is appropriately resourced and empowered to undertake its statutory regulatory and enforcement responsibilities in relation to the functions of the scheme administrator in advance of the Deposit Return Scheme going live in October 2027.
- Ensure the scheme is as simple as possible for consumers and businesses.
- Increase operational flexibility for hospitality retailers, enabling hospitality businesses to adopt arrangements regarding the charging of the deposit and collection of scheme articles that best suit their operations while maintaining overall scheme objectives, and reduce complexity for hospitality businesses operating across multiple nations.
- Improve regulatory transparency for registered producers regarding financial consequences of late payment of registration fees.
- Support the effective implementation of a Scottish DRS, ensuring interoperability with DRS arrangements across the rest of the UK.