Tennent's lager owner issues warning over Tory changes to deposit return scheme

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Tory plans to exclude glass from Holyrood’s deposit return scheme are threatening Scotland’s favourite lager.The owner of Tennent’s has warned the UK Government proposal would undermine their business and put jobs at risk.

Scotland’s DRS is due to begin next year, but the scheme needs the Conservative Government to grant an exemption from UK-wide trade legislation.The Tory administration agreed a partial exemption but only if the Scottish scheme excludes glass and aligns with the rest of the UK.In a letter to First Minister Humza Yousaf and a Holyrood committee, C&C Group hit out at the UK Government intervention.

Andrea Pozzi, GB Managing Director, wrote that his company had “serious concerns” about the plan.He wrote: “The announcement further increases the already huge uncertainty around the scheme for the drinks industry, customers, and consumers and, if implemented, would be a fundamental change to the scheme.”Pozzi warned of the “serious implications” for his firm and added: “By removing glass from a Scottish DRS, Tennent’s, as a product sold in can in the Scottish off-trade, would be at a significant competitive disadvantage, undermining our business and therefore placing jobs and investment at risk.

The removal of glass will also result in a material reduction of consumer choice.”C&C’s position is for the introduction of a UK-wide DRS scheme brought in at the same time across all four nations.