The Scottish Government has launched a consultation to help shape a deposit return scheme (DSR) to boost recycling rates.
It is seeking views on how much the deposit should be, how the scheme should be funded and what materials should be collected.
Under a DRS, a small deposit is paid when buying a plastic bottle, which is then returned when the empty bottle is brought back.
The possible options for materials that could be collected include plastic containers, glass bottles, metal cans, cartons and disposable cups.
The Scottish Government states material reprocessing and its subsequent reuse offers the possibility to create a wide range of jobs and there will be a requirement for drives and plant operations as well as mangers, sales people, scientists, engineers and designers.
Earlier this year, the UK Government said it would introduce a deposit return scheme for single-use bottles in England and the EU also recently introduced a range of proposals on tackling community litter, with the aim to ensure all plastic packaging is recyclable by 2030.
Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I believe the case has been made for deposit return as an effective way to improve our recycling rates and at the same time, to help prevent bottles and cans ending up as litter. This conclusion is based on the extensive work undertaken on our behalf by Zero Waste Scotland.
“This work has carefully considered the opportunities that deposit return could create and any potential problems and demonstrated that deposit return will support our ambition to create a society that values the resources it uses and wastes as little as possible.”
The consultation closes on 25th September 2018.
