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Waste firm's £100m lawsuit threat against Scottish Government over failed bottle returns scheme

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dailyrecord.co.uk

A major waste firm has threatened to sue the ­Scottish Government for £100million over its bungled drinks recycling scheme.

Holyrood ministers hoped Scotland would be the first UK nation to bring in a deposit return scheme (DRS) but the project was scrapped after concerns from supermarkets, shops, drinks firms and a partial block by the UK Government.

Now, the Sunday Mail has learned Biffa plans to take legal action in an effort to recover the investment it made preparing for the scheme.The company bought almost 200 new trucks and had started recruiting staff when Green minister Lorna Slater axed the plan last June.Taxpayers have already lost millions to the failed scheme after Circularity Scotland – the company set up to run it – collapsed in July.

It had been handed £9million by the Scottish National Investment Bank.A source with knowledge of the Biffa claim said: “A huge investment was made in preparing for this contract and assurances were given that it would be going ahead.“When it was cancelled, Biffa lost a ­significant amount of money and has no choice but to try and recover some of that from the ­Scottish Government given it was their scheme and they were responsible for it.”The Scottish Government hoped to restart the scheme when England and Wales launched their own versions in 2025.But the UK ­Government has delayed it for two more years, leading Slater to write to Environment Secretary Steve Barclay on Friday.The scheme aimed to boost recycling rates and reduce litter by charging a 20p deposit on all glass and plastic drink containers.The deposit would be reclaimed when empties were returned to machines at shops.Small drinks firms complained they’d need different labels and barcodes for their ­products being

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