The Scottish Government has split over a key recycling policy after Lorna Slater suggested a fellow minister who has pledged to halt the plan may not understand how it works.
The deposit return scheme (DRS) is due to launch in August and means shoppers will pay an extra 20p when purchasing drinks in a can or bottle - with the cash returned when they bring back the empty container for recycling.
Slater, the minister responsible for the policy, is under increasing pressure after dozens of drinks firms claimed it was not fit for the purpose and could put them out of business.
Kate Forbes yesterday warned the scheme could cause "economic carnage" if implemented as it currently stands.
The finance secretary pledged to halt the policy if she wins the SNP leadership race and becomes the next First Minister.
But Slater claimed today it would be "absolutely a kick in the teeth to industry" to delay the controversial initiative.
The Green MSP said: "No-one with any credibility to support business in Scotland would delay the scheme any further because those businesses that have made that substantial investment, those shops that have got their planning permission for their reverse vending machines, they don’t get their return on that investment until those 20 pences start flowing.
"The question on the table and the sensible question is what small producers can do to become compliant with the scheme, we’ve been working very closely with small producers, we’ve got an extra £22 million of cash on the table, cash flow support for them last week, we’ve got support for labelling, we’re working through the issues."
Asked if she thought Forbes didn't understand how the scheme worked, Slater said: "I think it's important for all of us to engage with stakeholders on the scheme to understand that.
"I would encourage anyone who has questions on how the scheme works to contact Circularity Scotland or SEPA, these are the bodies of expertise."
She added: "Kate Forbes can absolutely get that information to find out how the scheme is going to launch and how it's going to work."
SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan has also said she would delay the DRS, saying it needs to be “returned and recycled so that it works for everyone”.
Humza Yousaf, the frontrunner in the SNP leadership race, has said he would keep smaller businesses exempt from the scheme for at least the first year of operation if he becomes First Minister.
Scottish Labour net-zero spokesman Colin Smyth said: "Lorna Slater has completely lost the confidence of Scotland’s small businesses and has now lost control of this scheme after failing to do the basics to make it work.
"If we are going to stand a chance of fixing this mess, she must stand aside.
"If this incompetent Government can’t even get a deposit return scheme right, what chance to do they have to deliver our wider net-zero targets?"
The Scottish Beer and Pub Association called for clarity ahead of the midnight deadline.
A spokesman said: "The beer and pub sector remain committed to a workable DRS, however as a result of the pledges made by leadership candidates we are now in the situation where producers are legally required to sign up to a scheme with key elements now unknown and highly likely to change when a new first minister is appointed.
"This added confusion, alongside the now unknown financial risk they could be exposing their business to, will likely see producers not signing ahead of the deadline tonight."
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