The introduction of a deposit return scheme for cans and bottles could play an "integral part" in reducing litter in Scotland, RSPB Scotland has said.

The conservation charity is one of five new partners who have just become part of an initiative urging Holyrood ministers to bring in such a scheme.

Ramblers Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, environmental charity Fidra and waste and resource management company Changeworks Recyling have also given their support to the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign, led by the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS).

It wants shoppers to have to pay a deposit when buying products in cans and plastic and glass bottles, which would then be refunded when they return the empty containers.

The Scottish Government has the power to introduce such an initiative under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act of 2009 and earlier this year APRS published polling showing almost eight out of 10 people backed the move.

Lloyd Austin, head of conservation policy at RSPB Scotland, said: "Scotland is home to an amazing variety of wildlife and habitats, and we need to ensure we're doing all we can to protect them.

"A deposit return system would be an integral part of helping to reduce litter in Scotland and would lessen our impact on our natural environment.

"RSPB Scotland firmly supports the introduction of a deposit return system here.

"Drinks containers not only blight our landscape but can be deadly to wildlife across Scotland and in the seas that surround us."

The addition of the five new campaign partners means organisations representing almost 150,000 Scots back the introduction of a deposit return scheme, according to APRS.

Director John Mayhew said: "We are delighted to welcome our five new partners to a campaign coalition that already represents nearly 150,000 members in Scotland and is set to grow even further.

"A deposit return system would be good for our countryside, our economy and people in Scotland."

Betsy Reed, campaign director for Have You Got The Bottle?, said: "The Scottish Government has shown leadership through introducing the carrier-bag charge, which reduced plastic-bag usage by over 80% in its first six months.

"A deposit return system is the natural next step and would likely lead to a jump in recycling and a noticeable reduction of litter."

Helen Todd, campaigns and policy manager at Ramblers Scotland, said: "We want our countryside and green spaces to be free from litter which harms the environment and reduces people's enjoyment of the countryside.

"We believe a deposit return system shines a spotlight on this issue to positively change behaviour."

John McTague, of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said such a scheme could reduce waste and litter "improving the environment for people and wildlife".

Ken McLean, general manager of Changeworks Recycling, said: "The deposit return system complements our high-quality ethos, maximising the capture of recyclable materials is a major step towards building Scotland's sustainable circular economy."

Fidra director Becky Gait said: "Fidra supports the introduction of reverse vending in Scotland as part of our transition to a circular economy."

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said in May that deposit return schemes could be "very beneficial for the environment", adding that he was "looking at the potential of a Scottish scheme" .

Today he said: "The Scottish Government commissioned Zero Waste Scotland to conduct a feasibility study into a deposit return scheme in Scotland, which was published in May 2015 and was followed by a call for evidence. The process identified a number of important points for further exploration on deposit return.

"While there are no plans at the moment to introduce the scheme, we decided to investigate the potential for this in Scotland given the benefits for recycling and tackling litter by attaching a value to goods previously discarded. We intend to explore, and publish, the issues raised in the call for evidence on a deposit return scheme in Scotland and welcome this contribution to the debate."

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