It would be “reckless” to introduce the deposit return scheme as planned in August, a cross-party group of MSPs has warned.
The group wrote to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about “extensive and wide-ranging concerns” about the scheme.
The letter was signed by former Scottish rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing and veteran SNP MSP Christine Grahame.
Other signatories were Conservative MSPs Maurice Golden and Brian Whittle, Labour’s Claire Baker and Paul O’Kane, and Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur.
The letter highlights a Scottish government review published in December that “identified that the scheme cannot be made to work as planned in August”.
It said that given the “number and gravity of the defects identified by both that review and by industry, that it would be reckless for the Scottish government to proceed with the scheme’s introduction in August this year”.
The letter asks for an “urgent and entirely independent review of how best to improve recycling in Scotland”.
The MSPs said about 600 small and medium-size businesses have expressed fears about scheme, adding that the rules and costs could force many to close, and warned that drinks firms could withdraw from the Scottish market.
The letter shared concerns that some businesses may have to increase prices beyond the 20p deposit to cover their costs, which could affect the poorest in society.
In addition, MSPs said the scheme’s environmental aims could backfire, requiring “possibly millions of extra van or lorry journeys to operate the proposed new collection system”.
A Scottish government spokesman told the BBC: “Scotland’s deposit return scheme will go live on 16 August this year and will make producers responsible for recycling the bottles and cans they put on the market.
“Similar schemes are common in other European countries and have been shown to be very effective in improving recycling rates, tackling littering and addressing public concerns about the impact of plastic and other waste on our environment.”
