Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021: business and regulatory impact assessment - final

15.0 Annex A: Indicative questions for Scottish Firms Impact Test interviews

Europe Economics, on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland, is supporting the development of a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for the introduction of market restrictions on certain single-use plastic items in Scotland.

A BRIA is used to analyse the cost and benefits to businesses and the third sector of any proposed legislation or regulation, with the goal of using evidence to identify the proposal that best achieves policy objectives while minimising costs and burdens.

Engagement with Scottish firms forms a central part of the BRIA process. For this, interviews are performed with a group of key stakeholders which may be impacted by the change in legislation. The findings of this engagement will be fed into the development of the proposed legislation.

The views expressed during this engagement process will be published as part of the BRIA process. However, your personal information will remain confidential; only the name of your organisation will be used. Additional information can be found at: http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/data-protection-policy.

Please note that the interview may not cover all of the questions below. These provide an indication as to the areas we are interested in exploring. If you feel only able to engage with us on certain questions please indicate that to us and we will focus the interview on the areas where you are most able to provide useful input.

1. The Scottish Government is currently consulting on legislation aimed at restricting the sale of specific single-use plastic items in Scotland. Are you supportive of the introduction of these restrictions? Why/ why not? Please give your reasons.

2. In your opinion how has the use of single-use plastic items covered by the restrictions changed over recent years (e.g. in the last 5 years)? How would you expect the use of these items to change in the next 5-10 years in the absence of the market restrictions being introduced?

3. In your opinion what will be the biggest potential impacts (both costs and benefits) of introducing the market restrictions on your business or on those which you represent? Which businesses, in your opinion, will be most affected by the restrictions? Please provide evidence where possible.

4. Has your business or have the businesses you represent taken any steps to mitigate any anticipated impacts or costs associated with the market restrictions? If so, please expand your answer.

5. Does your organisation or association have specific concerns on how the restrictions might impact businesses in more remote areas of Scotland? Please expand on your answer.

6. To what extent do you expect the market restrictions to put your business, or those which you represent, at a disadvantage, nationally or internationally? Please provide evidence where possible.

7. Do you have any concerns about these restrictions affecting competition amongst your suppliers, or those of the businesses which you represent? If so, could you elaborate?

8. When the market restrictions come into force, will your business or the businesses you represent switch to alternative products, or do you anticipate stopping the use, sale or production of the products affected by the restrictions altogether? What alternative products will you be producing, using or selling instead of single-use plastics? Please expand your answer.

9. If your business or the businesses you represent will be substituting single-use plastic items covered by the restrictions with alternative products (as part of your sales or production), how quickly do you expect this transition to take place? Do you anticipate any difficulties prior to or during this transition? Please expand your answer.

10. If you are planning to switch to alternative products, do you expect final consumers to notice the change and adjust their purchasing behaviour as a result of the change? For example, would you expect them to buy less (e.g. because of reduced convenience) or more (because of increased environmental friendliness) of the final product or be willing to pay less or more for it?

11. What unintended consequences do you anticipate for your business or the businesses you represent as a result of the restrictions?

12. Is there anything else you wish to add not covered by the above questions?