Scottish consumers will face higher prices and fewer choices if the deposit return scheme goes ahead as planned, Nicola Sturgeon has been warned.

The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), which represents businesses in the retail sector, said the current scheme is “bedevilled” with a host of issues.

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, the deputy head of the group, told the First Minister in a letter that while progress had been made on some of the concerns around the scheme there remains “a long list of outstanding issues”.

The deposit return scheme involves shoppers paying an extra 20p when purchasing drinks in a can or bottle, with the cash returned when they bring back the empty container for recycling.

Critics have warned the move will hurt businesses and consumers across the country during a cost of living crisis and have called for it to be delayed or scrapped.

Circular economy minister and Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater has insisted the scheme will go ahead as planned in August.

Defending the scheme, she said it will help reduce litter in Scotland and pointed to other countries that had implemented similar policies.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Politics Matters