CHILDREN may once again be taking their “ginger” bottles back to the shops for sweetie money, as the Scottish Government looks at introducing a nationwide deposit return scheme.

In a bid to reduce litter and increase recycling, detailed work on how a potential deposit return scheme might operate in Scotland has been commissioned by the government.

Deposit return schemes, in existence around the world, see consumers pay a small deposit that is fully refundable once the empty bottle is returned.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has confirmed Zero Waste Scotland will investigate design options and the associated costs and benefits of how a deposit return scheme could operate. Options will then be put to the public for consultation before ministers come to a final decision.

Zero Waste Scotland has also published findings from its gathering of evidence, undertaken on the Scottish Government’s behalf, that shows areas to be further investigated.

Its report points out that there are “passionate” stakeholders on both sides of the deposit return systems debate, but the agency had tried to be neutral in looking at the issue.

“For some issues we have carried out bespoke analysis (e.g. local authority kerbside cost analysis, potential anti-litter impacts), and in these cases, where possible we have sought to reflect stakeholder disagreements by exploring a range of options where views diverge (e.g. anti-litter impacts), or evidence is more limited than we would like (e.g. container specific recycling rates),” says the report.

“In other cases, the available evidence has proved limited (e.g. consumer behaviour impacts; hygiene concerns), even after extensive discussion with stakeholders, and in these cases we have simply summarised the differing views expressed.”

Cunningham said it was obvious that there were a number of issues for the Scottish Government to consider and these could only be addressed by carrying out work to understand the design of a potential system.

“I have asked Zero Waste Scotland to start this work,” she said. “Progress will be overseen by a steering group involving representatives from the packaging industry, retailers and environmental groups, and followed by a full public consultation to ensure we are as well-informed as possible before any decisions are made.”

Coca-Cola has already voiced support for a deposit return scheme for cans and bottles in Scotland.

“It’s already clear from our conversations with experts that the time is right to trial new interventions such as a well-designed deposit scheme for drinks containers, starting in Scotland where conversations are under way,” said a company spokesperson.

SNP MSP Richard Lochhead, who looked into the issue when he was a cabinet secretary, said: “This change of heart by the world’s biggest soft drink company is a very welcome and highly significant development in the campaign to introduce deposit and return schemes for drinks containers to improve recycling and tackle litter.

“It is refreshing that such a major player in the industry is willing to change its mind after looking at how such schemes work in countries around the world.”

The Marine Conservation Society said: “It is great to see Coca-Cola recognise the advantages” of this scheme, while WWF Scotland said they “very much welcomed” the move.