Officials in Slovakia say they have seen an uptick of more than 10 per cent in recycling after introducing a deposit return scheme like the one the Scottish Government intends to launch later this year.

Under the scheme, which is currently due to launch on August 16, people will pay a 20p deposit when they buy a drink that comes in a single-use container, then get their money back when they return the empty container to a collection point.

The scheme has already been delayed, and has been criticised by many in the industry as being unworkable or disadvantageous to Scottish producers.

Slovakia introduced their own deposit return scheme in 2022.

Consumers pay €0.15 when purchasing a single-use container, which can be recycled at more than 3,000 collection points across the country, of which the schemes organisers say around 60% are smaller businesses.

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In the first year of the scheme 1.1bn cans and bottles were sold in Slovakia, of which 820m were collected to be recycled into new ones.

Marián Áč, the deposit return system administrator told Denik this week: “The original projection for this year were to expect a return rate of 60%.

“We exceeded this by more than 10 points despite the extremely short time to build the infrastructure.

“Our system is circular, working on the principle of plastic to plastic and can to can. This means that the collected packaging is used for the production of new beverage containers.”

Slovakia is aiming for 80% recycling this year and 90% by 2025.

The Herald: A bottle being returned in SlovakiaA bottle being returned in Slovakia (Image: Správca Záloh)

There have been teething problems with the scheme, with a Bratislava resident telling the Herald that bottles which have been crumpled are sometimes not recognised by the machines, with similar issues for smaller child-friendly drinks.

In addition the machines in Slovakia currently take containers only one at a time, which can lead to queues forming at busy times.

However, officials believe that the incentive to return cans and bottles has led to a reduction in litter on the streets and in public places.

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Áč said: “The number of loose bottles and cans in nature has been significantly reduced. That is the unequivocal message from national parks and other places that have until now been troubled by littering.”

In the Czech Republic a scheme is in place for returning glass beer bottles. The nation drinks more beer than any other country in the world per capita – around 300 bottles per person, per year – and are paid three koruna (around 11p) for returning the empties. Trials on introducing a full deposit return scheme will take place in Brno later this year, though the government has not committed to a full implementation.

There are currently 13 European countries operating deposit return schemes, with Romania, Turkey and Greece to join Scotland in introducing one this year.

A deposit return scheme for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is slated to begin on October 1 2025, while Hungary, Poland, and Austria have already set out their own dates for introducing the recycling plan.