A deposit on a product, a return of the item, an exchange for change. Is less litter on the horizon?

This month - October 2026 - we are officially a year away from Scotland having a Deposit Return Scheme for cans and plastic bottles.

After calling for a scheme for almost two decades, our Chief Executive Barry Fisher looks ahead to what we hope will have a positive impact on Scotland’s ongoing battle with litter. 

Seven in ten people see littered cans and plastic bottles regularly. 

When did it become so normal for us to see cans and bottles littered across Scotland? These items are consistently recorded in the top 10 littered items, so much so that it doesn’t even surprise us anymore. Almost 30% of surveyed sites across Scotland are littered with items that would be captured by a Deposit Return Scheme.  

Worryingly, unpublished data from our upcoming litter report has also found that when asked if specific litter items are getting worse over the past year, almost one in three people believe plastic bottles are getting worse, with a fifth saying the same for drinks cans. 

When it comes to litter, we need real and lasting change in our behaviours. 

The forthcoming UK wide Deposit Return Scheme is a massive step in the right direction, and one we know will have a positive impact reducing the number of plastic bottles and cans we record as litter.  It will take time and there is work to be done to support public behaviours to adapt, but we are positive about the impact of this scheme.

Our charity first called for a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland way back in 2008. Some of our staff were in primary school when we first outlined how reverse vending could make a difference. My daughter was born that same year, and the Whitelee Windfarm opened.  We’ve watched from afar as it’s been introduced in countries across the world and applauded their innovation with only a slight hint of jealousy. 

We’ve known for the best part of two decades that this would make a difference, particularly in our most deprived communities which are impacted the most, with almost 50% of sites being blighted by a can or bottle. Our research and data show this, but you’ve told us too – more than 50% of you believe that a Deposit Return Scheme will reduce litter. 

We also have our own evidence to back up its anticipated impact in Scotland. When we introduced a reward at New College Lanarkshire campuses last year recycling machines saw an increased usage of 7,812% compared to the same period the year before and cleaning staff noted a reduction in litter. 

Our marketing and messaging across campus and the machines, which were already in place on the campuses, led to an enormous increase in items being recycled. The reason was simply a small incentive to encourage people to do the right thing. 

But what does it mean for our country? What difference will it make to our streets? From more than 3,400 samples taken across Scotland throughout 2025/26, items which are in scope for a Deposit Return Scheme made up 7% of all litter items counted.   

This reiterates what we already know: a Deposit Return Scheme, which we will see in Scotland in 12 months’ time, is not the be all and end all. A wave of machines across Scotland will not result in a litter free Scotland overnight. There’s so much littering our streets than just cans and bottles.  

But, with plastic bottles were found at one in five sites; metal cans were almost two in five. You’ll likely see at least one of these items by the roadside or in the park the next time you’re out for a walk. So, although there are a lot of other littered items out there, paper, smoking related, food and drink packaging included, removing such visible high-volume items will make a difference and encourage people to think differently. 

It won’t change overnight, but a Deposit Return Scheme has the power to provide the catalyst for real attitude adjustment, and engage everyone in the country with an issue that has been neglected for too long – the importance of managing our waste properly 

There is plenty of work still to be done, and we’re ready to play our part. We need to ensure this system is fit for purpose, that the public is well-informed of its benefits, and that it makes a difference to the communities across Scotland who are impacted most by litter. We’re already working away to ensure this happens so that the system makes an impact from day one.