Biffa wins 10-year Scotland deposit return scheme contract

Sustainable waste management company Biffa said it had won a 10-year contract to provide logistics, sorting and counting services for the UK's first deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in Scotland.

Biffa will be the logistics partner for the scheme, with responsibilities including the collection of bottles and cans from around 30,000 locations. It will also build and operate three counting centres. No financial details were disclosed.

It plans to spend £80m estimated capital commitment, including property lease commitments, August 2023.

Biffa was appointed by Circularity Scotland, the scheme’s administrator - working on behalf of drinks producers, retailers and hospitality venues to provide the collection, counting and recycling of the billions of drinks containers which are placed on the Scottish market each year.

The deal is expected to create around 500 jobs in Scotland. Circularity Scotland is also working with Biffa to explore the opportunity to build a PET recycling plant in Scotland to support the scheme and deliver further employment opportunities.

Scotland is the first UK nation to implement a DRS. From August 16, 2023, a refundable 20p deposit will apply to all applicable containers sold - from 50 millilitre containers to large 3-litre bottles.

The DRS aims to capture at least 90% of the drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel, aluminium, and glass. Plastic bottles collected will be converted into recycled pellets to be supplied back into the UK beverage supply chain.