A craft brewery in England has begun labelling its beer "not for sale in Scotland" amid fears it could be hit with a "hefty" fine under the deposit return scheme (DRS). An industry group warned other small brewers could withdraw beer from sale in Scotland unless an exemption is brought in quickly, following the example of Three Blind Mice Brewery.
The flagship recycling initiative, run by Greens minister Lorna Slater, is aimed at increasing recycling with a 20p deposit on single-use drinks bottles and cans - but it’s been dogged by business fears over cost. The Ely-based brewery said its understanding is that a £350 fee is required to register each type of beer it produces under the DRS, something which dissuaded it from taking part.
As Three Blind Mice only produce small runs of specialist beers, it said the cost of paying this fee for each beer would be prohibitive. Director Alex Bragg told the PA news agency he chose to introduce the "not for sale in Scotland" label in case a third-party reseller sold one of the cans north of the border, leaving Three Blind Mice liable for a fine under the DRS.
