Scottish ministers poised to back down in recycling row with Westminster

SNP government preparing to accept UK ministers’ demand to exclude glass from deposit return scheme

Scottish ministers are poised to accept a UK government ultimatum over a controversial can and bottle recycling scheme after ministers in London insisted the scheme had to be significantly watered down.

Lorna Slater, the minister overseeing a Scottish scheme to charge a 20p deposit for bottles and cans, accused her UK counterparts of “deliberate sabotage” after they demanded that Scotland drop plans to include glass bottles.