Circularity Scotland, the firm that was due to manage Scottish deposit return scheme, collapses as it sends staff home without confirming if they’ll be paid for the month or be able to return to the office.
The deposit return scheme was due to launch in March 2024 but has been pushed forward to at least October 2025 as the UK didn’t remove exclusions for glass bottles.
The BBC reported that the further delay made the company unviable in its current form.
Circularity Scotland board acknowledges it was an “extremely difficult time” for staff and it is “working tirelessly” to find a solution.
Scottish circular economy minister Lorna Slater reacted to the news saying: “Circularity Scotland is an industry body, an organisation created by the drinks producers of Scotland to help them comply with the Scottish government’s regulations.
“It is up to the producers of Scotland to help Circularity Scotland move forward so that they can comply with our regulations in October 2025.”
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Slater remains under even more pressure as the Scottish Conservatives table a vote of no confidence.
The party said the circular economy minister was “out of her depth” and should lose her job over the failure of the Scottish government’s deposit return scheme.
The motion was lodged by Scottish Tory net zero, energy and transport spokesperson Liam Kerr.
Kerr said: “We feel we have no option but to bring this motion forward, because Lorna Slater has demonstrated that she is out of her depth as a minister.
“I don’t say this lightly, but I struggle to think of a minister who has struggled so much in their brief in the seven years I’ve been in the Scottish Parliament.
“Her handling of the deposit return scheme has been shambolic from day one, with her refusal to engage with business or heed their warnings that her plans were unworkable.”
