News | Industry Updates


Calls for Scottish government to consider DRS deadline challenges


The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has urged the Scottish Government to consider the wide-ranging challenges facing consumers and industry with regards to its deposit return scheme (DRS) deadline. The association has called on it to


respond by providing a “pragmatic, revised, go-live deadline that will help ensure delivery of a well-designed DRS system in Scotland that works for everyone”. The BSDA said: “The introduction of such


a scheme is a vitally important mechanism for increasing recycling and tackling litter. Zero Waste Scotland research predicts that 34,000 fewer plastic bottles will be littered every day with the introduction of a DRS in Scotland. Furthermore, with the scheme delivering a range of new features, including more than 30,000 return points nationwide, £62m a year could be saved tackling the indirect impacts of litter. “Such is the desire of soft drinks


manufacturers to support this mission, the BSDA and its members have contributed the best part of £3m to help get Scotland’s DRS off the ground. This funding has been used to


set up the not-for-profit Circularity Scotland Limited, which was appointed by the Scottish Government as a Scheme Administrator for Scotland’s DRS earlier this year. “As our financial commitment suggests,


the soft drinks sector’s desire to help deliver a well-designed DRS is unequivocal. But timing is everything – especially if we want the scheme to be a success. “At present, Scotland’s DRS is due to start


in July 2022. We do not believe this date to be practicable for a range of reasons. For one, drinks producers – like so many other sectors – have been dealing with a whirlwind of issues as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The hospitality sector went into full shutdown mode from March 2020, with a return to the normality that we once took for granted yet to materialise. “Not only that, many drinks businesses


and their retail customers are currently experiencing severe, ongoing problems with logistics, particularly the paucity of HGV drivers available to fulfil delivery orders, causing delays and cancellations. “Specifically related to Scotland’s DRS


itself, there is still uncertainty as to whether DRS deposits will be subject to as yet undefined VAT rules. As things stand, it seems that the UK Government is intending


to apply VAT to the deposit fee. This would bring a huge cost and a great deal of complexity in trying to administer this across the supply chain, as well as effectively taxing the incentive that is there to encourage good consumer behaviour. This does not make sense and needs to change. “Rest assured, despite these challenges, the


soft drinks sector is still doing what it can to help a DRS in Scotland see the light of day as soon as is practicably possible. The concerns we raise are because we wish the scheme to launch successfully and achieve its targets. Not only have BSDA members made a significant financial contribution to help with set-up costs, many soft drinks manufacturers have been innovating to improve the carbon footprint of their packaging for some time. Meanwhile, others have publicly set themselves ambitious environmental targets to meet in the years to come. “But in the here and now, and with the


clock ticking towards the current go-live date in Scotland, we urge the Scottish Government to consider the wide-ranging challenges facing consumers and industry and respond by providing a pragmatic, revised, go-live deadline that will help ensure delivery of a well-designed DRS system in Scotland that works for everyone.”


Costa Coffee trials reusable cup scheme powered by blockchain


Costa Coffee has launched a trial of a new blockchain technology- powered reusable cup scheme called BURT. BURT – which stands for ‘Borrow, Use, Reuse, Take Back’ – builds on the


chain’s work to improve the sustainability of its cups and packaging by utilising innovative digital technology, seeking to shift consumer behaviour towards reuse. The trial was launched across 14 stores in Glasgow, the home of COP26, and will last for six months. The company will be using the trial to gain feedback from customers


and learn about uptake and behaviour towards reusable cups. It will then use its findings to optimise and develop a scheme that will roll out more widely across the UK in phases. To participate in the trial, customers have been asked to set up an


account to join the scheme by scanning a QR code displayed in one of the 14 participating stores. By making a one-off £5 payment to join the scheme, customers can then scan the QR code on the base of cup, which links the cup to the customer’s account, via blockchain technology. They can then pay at the till as normal while a barista prepares their coffee. After enjoying their coffee on-the-go, customers can return the cup to


a participating Costa Coffee store at a time that suits them, where it will be scanned back in by the team, delinked from their account, and hygienically machine-washed in store, ready for the next customer. Customers will be given a new cup with each new order.


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The trial is being run in partnership with the digital agency, Austella, on


its blockchain-powered Valari platform. It will not only reduce the number of single-use cups used but also make it easier for customers who may have forgotten their reusable cups to still be able to pick up their favourite Costa coffee on-the-go, without waste. It also suits those preferring not to carry their own cup around each day.


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