Scotland’s major drinks producers, wholesalers and retailers have collaborated to create one body that would operate in everyone’s best interests: a scheme administrator.

The role of a scheme administrator is defined in the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 as being responsible for submitting applications and complying with regulations on behalf of a producer. 

Circularity Scotland won approval from the Scottish Government to become a scheme administrator. We are legally entitled to act on producers’ behalf, fulfilling their legal duties as detailed in the scheme regulations. 

As scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland will liaise with and report to SEPA, the regulators of the deposit return scheme as nominated by the Scottish Government.

What does a scheme administrator do? 

A scheme administrator is responsible for the day-to-day management of Scotland’s deposit return scheme. Circularity Scotland is a commercial organisation run on a not-for-profit basis, and will collect revenues and distribute payments to everyone involved in the scheme, ensuring this is accurately monitored and audited.

As scheme administrator, we also take responsibility for the collection of all returned containers and will ensure that the materials achieve optimal prices and recycling outcomes. We make key decisions on fees, payment terms and collection services and communicate these to every business operating within the scheme. 

Do producers have to use a scheme administrator?

Drinks producers and importers are legally entitled to make their own arrangements to meet their new obligations as outlined in the scheme regulations. Alternatively, they can choose to nominate a scheme administrator to fulfil these on their behalf.

In return for this service, they will pay a small producer fee for each container they sell in Scotland – but efficiency and economies of scale mean that this will be vastly less costly than administering their own duties under the scheme.

Circularity Scotland will run a professional, fair and highly efficient scheme that meets the collection targets laid out in the deposit return scheme regulations while keeping producer fees as low as possible.