Menzies has expressed interest in handling bottle collections from stores as part of the deposit returns scheme planned for Scotland, according to David Woodrow, owner of Woodrow’s in Renfrewshire.
The Scottish retailer and national councillor said the news wholesaler made the comments at a seminar led by the organisation designing the system – Zero Waste Scotland.
Woodrow told RN: “We involved Menzies from the beginning because they visit almost every shop in Scotland, every day.
“We wanted to relieve retailer concerns from the very start.”
It was proposed to Menzies that when it dropped off newspapers, it would collect the bottles and return to depot with the recyclable goods when the round was complete.
“Inevitably, this has costs involved,” said Woodrow. “But from the point of view of carbon emissions, this would be the most seamless way.
“The system would work for retailers who have a machine and those who have a manual system.”
The news came as Woodrow, alongside retailer Mo Razzaq, who heads up the DRS implementation committee, prepare to visit Norway next month with RVM Systems, a manufacturer of returns machines.
“The more we are involved in implementing this, the better deal we can get for small independents,” added Woodrow. “Norway will be great for us to compare because it has got a lot of small shops. I think they have more options, so we will be able to see how people handle it in different ways.”
Woodrow is hopeful the visit will help the committee educate on DRS. “I think we have got to move forward on this and the trip will be a great way for us to gain on-the-ground support,” he said.
“The public understands how important recycling is, thanks to David Attenborough, and we, as responsible retailers, have a role to play.”
More recent news: ‘Wide reforms’ are needed to save town centres
Comments
This article doesn't have any comments yet, be the first!