The minister charged with introducing Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has pledged to “persist” with the policy – as she accused the Scottish Secretary of “doing everything he can” to try to undermine the initiative.
Lorna Slater claimed that the Tories “lose their shit” at the Scottish Greens being in power at Holyrood.
Speaking about the Scottish Conservatives, Slater, the Scottish Green co-leader who is also circular economy minister in the Scottish Government, said: “They see me there, making the decisions instead of them, standing up to them.”
Her comments came as she hit out at Alister Jack, amid fears that he may seek to use UK Government legislation passed in the wake of Brexit to block the initiative.
An exemption to the Internal Market Act is needed for the scheme – which will see shoppers charged 20p when they buy drinks in cans and bottles with this cash refunded when the empty containers are returned for recycling.
However, hundreds of businesses have urged Ms Salter to halt the policy, which is due to come into force on 16 August, with opposition leaders at Holyrood also critical of DRS.
Slater told the Scottish Green Party conference in Clydebank: “The Tories’ efforts to stop Scotland’s deposit return scheme extend all the way to Westminster.”
She stated: “Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, is doing everything he can to undermine me and the scheme.
“Repeatedly briefing the media of his intention to bring it down and, in the process, break the frameworks that are meant to ensure co-operation between our countries and protect devolution.”
She said it was “extraordinary that just a few metres along the road from the Scottish Parliament, the Scotland Office appears to be actively working against us”.
Slater said Jack had “held this threat over us for months, knowing that just the threat undermines confidence and risks chaos”.
While she said there had been “relentless and noisy attempts to derail the scheme, to undermine it - and me” Slater vowed to press ahead with it - saying polling showed more than 70% of Scots back DRS.
She insisted that “even in the face of relentless personal attacks and mis-information, I am undaunted”.
She described DRS as being a “change we so desperately need”, and sending a message to critics of the scheme, Salter said simply: “I will persist.
“Saving the planet is not something we give up on when the going gets tough.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Secretary has called on the Scottish Government to listen to the concerns of businesses, pause their scheme and find solutions that work for the whole of the UK.
“All deposit return schemes must operate as seamlessly as possible so that we can maximise environmental benefits, minimise disruption to the drinks, retail and hospitality industries, and also protect consumers who are facing current cost-of-living challenges.
“The Scottish Secretary has also urged the next first minister to change the course of the Scottish Government, drop its obsession with independence and work hand in hand with the UK Government to realise our full potential as a country.”
The row comes as soft drinks giants including Coca-Cola and the makers of Irn Bru have joined together to urge Scotland’s next first minister to make introducing deposit return a “top priority”.
The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) - whose members include Coca- Cola, AG Barr, PepsiCo and Britvic Soft Drinks, among others - issued a statement ahead of Scotland’s new first minister coming into office.
The three candidates all hoping to succeed Nicola Sturgeon have already raised concerns about the initiative, with Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes saying some firms feared “economic carnage” if the DRS comes in as planned.
Former Scottish Government minister Ash Regan has called for the scheme to be paused, while Health Secretary Humza Yousaf - the third candidate running for the post - has promised he would have a grace period for small firms.
However Roger White, the chief executive of AG Barr, warned against delaying the introduction of the scheme.
He stated: “Scotland’s DRS delivers for the environment, society and industry and to delay it now would be to the detriment of all those things.”
Environmental campaigners say it will boost recycling and reduce litter, but DRS has come in for fierce criticism from the hospitality sector as well as some producers of alcoholic drinks.
However Stephen Moorhouse, vice president and general manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said it and other “responsible producers” had spent the past three years preparing for the launch of DRS, working with both the Scottish Government and Circularity Scotland, who will run the scheme.
Moorhouse stated: “We remain committed to the current timescale, but the Scottish Government’s clear and full support for DRS is critical if the scheme is to launch successfully in August.”
Carol Robert, chief operating officer for Suntory Beverage and Food in Britain and Ireland, said evidence from similar schemes elsewhere in the world had shown the “transformative impact DRS can have”.
She said having the Scottish scheme come into force in August was a “critical step” towards reducing emissions from the drinks sector and tackling litter.
Paul Graham, the managing director for Britvic Soft Drinks in Britain said: “DRS is a proven step towards a circular economy and we look forward to Scotland leading the way across the UK in rolling out the scheme this August.”
Dr Kat Jones, director of the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) said: “It is extremely encouraging to see so many producers committing to working in a more sustainable way and to supporting Scotland’s imminent deposit return system.”
The APRS championed DRS with its Have You Got the Bottle? campaign, and Jones said delaying the scheme again would be “irresponsible and counterproductive” and would leave those businesses which had prepared for it out of pocket “while condemning the whole country to yet more waste, carbon emissions, and unnecessary costs for Scottish councils”.
She stated: “As things stand, more than 900 million cans and bottles are wasted in Scotland every year, ending up in landfill, incineration, or littered in our towns and our countryside.
“We hope that other businesses will follow in publicly voicing their support for deposit return.”
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