People in the Borders can wave goodbye to as many as 237,000 plastic bottles next year thanks to new Deposit Return scheme.

Thousands of plastic bottles and cans could be kept out of the environment in the Scottish Borders due to a pioneering new ‘money back’ system that will encourage people to recycle more and litter less.

Figures published by environmental body Zero Waste Scotland, revealed the scale of plastic bottle dumping in the Scottish Borders.

And how it will be reduced by Scotland’s forthcoming deposit return scheme.

Every year, people in the Scottish Borders go through 14.6 million plastic bottles.

And an estimated 263,000 of those plastic bottles are littered around the Borders each year.

Under the new scheme, shoppers will pay a 20p deposit when buying drinks purchased in single-use plastic, glass bottles, and aluminium or steel cans.

People will then get their money back when they return their empty container for recycling.

That 20p is hoped to give people an extra incentive to recycle their empty bottles and cans, and make people think twice about dropping them.

With a 20p incentive not to throw away your empties, Zero Waste Scotland anticipates a 90 per cent reduction in litter for the materials mentioned.

This would mean nearly 237,000 fewer plastic bottles dropped in Scottish Borders each year.

With plastic bottles only one of the materials included in the scheme, the overall impact on litter is expected to be even higher.

Jill Farrell, Chief Operating Officer, Zero Waste Scotland said: “Our new figures reveal how Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme could visibly slash the number of littered plastic bottles in the Borders.

“We all hate seeing empty bottles and cans littering our streets, green spaces and beaches.

“And the great thing about Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme is it will give people a 20p incentive to do the right thing with their empty bottles, take them back for recycling, rather than risk them ending up on our streets or in our rivers.

“Litter isn’t just an eyesore – it also pollutes our environment and seas.

“And for every bottle littered, more plastic must be created, generating more planet-damaging emissions.

“When you take back your empty bottles to be recycled, you’ll not just be getting your 20p back, you’ll be doing your bit in the fight against the climate emergency.”

All types of drinks in containers between 50 ml and 3 litres in size are included in the Deposit Return scheme.

Across Scotland, wherever people can buy a drink in a container made from one of these materials, they will also be able to return it to reclaim the deposit.

Online retailers will also be included in the scheme, ensuring it’s accessible to people that are dependent on online delivery.

The Scottish Government is expected to introduce legislation to enable the scheme later this year.

For more information about Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, visit www.depositreturn.scot