Draft circular economy strategy: consultation

5. Product Stewardship

Priority: Adopt an evidenced-based prioritisation approach to product stewardship

Product stewardship is an approach that means whoever designs, produces, sells or uses a product takes responsibility for minimising its environmental impact, based on the polluter pays principle. Product stewardship measures can be targeted across the whole supply chain, including producer responsibility, takeback schemes, product standards and recyclability requirements, or support for reusable or refillable products.

Our existing priorities for product stewardship are packaging, electronics, batteries, vehicles and end-of-life fishing gear. These products are subject to existing UK wide producer responsibility schemes, which we are working on a Four Nations basis to reform.

In partnership with the other governments of the UK we have been working on strengthening product stewardship measures for these products. This includes additional measures to support packaging reuse and refill, including the potential for alignment with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.^[37]

We will adopt an evidenced-based approach to prioritising additional products over the next five years. Zero Waste Scotland are conducting research to underpin this approach based on environmental and economic impact. We anticipate that clothing, mattresses, and at least one other product will be prioritised for further action. We will bring forward a product stewardship plan in 2026 that sets out policy actions, based on principles of alignment with the EU where appropriate, ongoing collaboration across the UK, working with businesses to support innovation and additional voluntary measures, and ensuring end of life products are managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy.