Organisation type
Charity/third sector
Membership organisation
Sector
Environment and sustainability
Service
Barley worked with Alupro to raise awareness of the unintended consequences of an ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in Scotland. Our objective was to influence policymakers to move away from a flat-rate deposit for all container sizes, which risked increasing plastic waste rather than reducing it.
To evidence the potential impact of the proposed DRS, Barley commissioned a poll of 2,000 adults. Two-thirds said they would switch from infinitely recyclable multipack cans to larger plastic bottles if faced with a flat 20p deposit—potentially adding 823 million plastic bottles each year.
We combined insight-led media and political engagement to put pressure on policymakers to consider a variable deposit fee based on container size.
Our strategy centred around well-timed media activity and stakeholder engagement. We launched the polling results ahead of an MSP briefing, offering Alupro’s Executive Director, Rick Hindley, as spokesperson. We developed an infographic to illustrate the risks of the scheme and reinforced the story through national, regional and trade media.
The campaign extended to social media, where we used the hashtag #MakeDRSWork to target MPs, MSPs and other influencers during key parliamentary moments. Barley also produced a stakeholder toolkit for Alupro members to amplify the campaign through their own channels
Barley successfully raised Alupro’s profile at a pivotal point in the Scottish recycling debate. The campaign generated 33 high-quality pieces of coverage, including interviews on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Scotland TV and STV Scotland Tonight. Print and online articles appeared in The Scotsman, The Herald, The Courier, Edinburgh Evening News, Daily Record and others, alongside 10 trade media features.
On social media, 20 posts achieved 263,710 impressions and strong engagement.
Most importantly, our campaign helped secure recognition from the committee advising the Scottish Government that a variable rate should be considered—positioning Alupro as a key voice in shaping the next phase of policy development.
Want to chat?
Feel free to contact our team.
