FOI Request - Deposit Return Scheme

Request 101002953675

What financial benefit has been identified from the implementation of a deposit return scheme and how much is this worth to the council?
What efficiencies in waste collection services have been identified as a result of the introduction of a deposit return scheme and how much are these worth to the council?
How many FTE equivalent posts in waste management does the council anticipate to increase or decrease as a result of the introduction of a deposit return scheme?

Response 26-01-22

The level of detail requested is unavailable at present. The information required to answer all questions therefore falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held. Under our duty to be helpful, the department has offered the following comments:

"It must be noted that the Scottish DRS was originally scheduled to be introduced in July 2022. However, due to the pandemic and the associated barriers that has presented, the ‘go-live’ date has now been deferred until 16th August 2023.

With that date being 19 months away from the point of this response, the information requested is not held at this stage. It’s also prudent to note that financial implications will be closely tracked by the markets for recyclable materials. These markets fluctuate on a monthly basis so given the time between now and the ‘go-live’ date, it’s not possible to make comment.

The purpose of the Deposit Return Scheme is to help improve the quality and quantity of recycling, reduce litter and achieve Scotland’s climate change targets.

There are a number of materials that fall outwith the scope of the scheme and these will be collected from the kerbside as they currently are. Therefore, services will still be delivered by Local Authorities after DRS is introduced."