Seòmar agus comataidhean

We can look into whether more clarity is needed.

I remember our discussions about that when we were on the committee together in the previous session. Private organisations can volunteer to give us their data. You spoke about the marine environment. We have been involving more fishers in collecting data that is associated with marine protected areas and fisheries management measures, and the Scottish Government is working on vessels with fishers. We also have connections with offshore wind developers and others who work in the marine environment.

You are absolutely right that no holistic system really exists, but I will probably be able to get back to the committee about how we look to manage that data.

The costs that are associated with the bill do not reflect the spend across the whole of Government on critical endeavours in the rural affairs space. We will take away your point that there is lots of data out there but it is not co-ordinated. To go back to what Lisa McCann said about indicators, it is critical that we have robust data in order to develop the indicators for targets.

The bill says

“one or more of the purposes”.

That is pitting net zero against biodiversity—

Let me have a look. [Interruption.]

Because it is a goal.

That is not within the scope of the bill, but I would be happy to talk to you about it. I am sceptical about whether it is an issue for the bill. We might be able to do something more agile.

Our interpretation is that we need to have the flexibility in law.

I am happy to answer that, convener. I will take you through the substantive changes to the current regulations for Scotland. The first thing, crucially, is that the timeline is revised to launch the DRS in October 2027. Glass is removed from the scheme. The minimum container size has increased from 100ml to 150ml. Producers will be required to register with the scheme administrator rather than SEPA. Supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents will be required to host return points unless their premises are less than 100m₂ in size and in an urban area. Take-back services may be provided voluntarily and organisations must register to operate take-back services.

I mentioned the designation of the new scheme administrator, UK DMO. It will have additional functions. The scheme administrator must issue a logo and a machine-readable code, and it may issue a logo identifying multipacks containing scheme articles. It will determine the deposit level, which may be a flat or variable rate. Those who want a review of the rate can request one from the scheme administrator. Any scheme administrator will also determine applications for an exemption from operating a return point.

Those are the substantive areas in which there will be a change.

The most substantive change is the removal of glass. We want recycling rates for glass to accelerate and improve. The Scottish Government, as has been well documented, wanted to introduce a scheme in 2024. It would have been up and running, I think, in March 2024. We have effectively lost a year of deposit return items being recycled, so that has had a material impact on our recycling targets in the past year.

The biggest difference is the exclusion of glass. That is why Wales has decided not to go forward with the regulations as we are. Its recycling rates are very good—they are the best in the UK. Wales wanted to include glass in order for the scheme to make a material difference to its recycling rates.

As you will remember, convener, the previous UK Government denied an exemption from the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 to allow glass to be included in the Scottish scheme. Our view is that a deposit return scheme that deals with aluminium cans and plastic bottles but without glass is better than no scheme at all. It is expected that the implementation of a deposit return scheme will take 0.8 megatonnes of CO₂ out of Scotland, and it will increase the recycling rate of those materials to about 76 per cent. There were different estimates for the previous regulations, which included glass. We are also working on implementing the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 and are working with local authorities on how we can have general improvement in recycling rates. A number of strategies are being taken forward.

There is no doubt that a UK-wide deposit return scheme, which we have signed up to in concert with the previous UK Government, the current UK Government and the Northern Ireland Government, will make a substantial difference to recycling rates. However, the impact will not just be on the recycling rates but on the amount of litter, as I mentioned in my statement. As you know, a lot of litter, particularly on our roadsides and in our coastal areas, is single-use drinks containers of the type that will be in the scope of the regulations. I am looking forward to a situation in which we no longer see cans and bottles littering our streets and our roadsides, because they have a material value associated with their return.