Fife Council has confirmed that the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) due to come into effect shortly could cost it millions over the next few years.
Scottish Conservative Councillor Dave Dempsey said “Having listened to the concerns of businesses about DRS, I thought that someone ought to investigate its impact on Council. I asked about that as part of Question Time at the recent full meeting of the Council.
The answer came in two parts. As the Council runs cafes and sells bottles and cans in schools, it’ll be required like any other retailer to provide facilities for their return and the refund of the deposits. That’ll most likely be in the form of Reverse Vending Machines but, despite DRS starting in just a few months, details and costs aren’t yet known.
What’s better known are the potential effects the green bin kerbside recycling. Here they’re reckoning on a £1.6m per year loss, mainly in income from selling recyclates. In the recent budget, the Administration took on board the Conservative proposal to up the roads budget, adding £3.5m next year. That means that the prospective loss to DRS is close on half the extra roads money. No-one expects the Scottish Government, which is imposing DRS, to make up that loss.
DRS sounds great in theory – in practice, …”
ENDS
Note : For the text of the question and answer, see Question 4 in https://www.fife.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/464818/Minute-of-Meeting-of-Fife-Council-of-16-March-2923-subject-to-approval-at-the-next-meeting-Appendix.pdf