Every day, millions of drinks cans and bottles are discarded, many ending up as litter in our countryside and in our seas. Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in our seas every year, killing marine life, threatening ecosystems and entering the food chain.

Deposit return means you pay a small deposit on every drinks can or bottle, which is refunded in full when you return your empty cans and bottles. More than a quarter of a billion people around the world use this system every day: it's popular and it works, with many countries seeing 95% or more of their empty cans and bottles returned. This reduces litter, cuts costs for local councils, and boosts jobs in the circular economy.

Scotland was ahead of the curve on the plastic bag charge, and this is the obvious next step. With a deposit return system for Scotland we can not only help tackle our litter problem but also set a good example to the rest of the UK.