Deposit Return Scheme: The UK’s Recycling Plans for 2027
The UK Government has confirmed it plans to launch a deposit return scheme (DRS) in October 2027 for plastic and metal drinks containers.
Across England and Northern Ireland, suppliers will have to take on new responsibilities and similar legislation will apply in Scotland issued by the Scottish Government.
The deposit will apply to all single use drinks containers that:
- are made wholly or mainly from aluminium or steel, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic
- have a capacity of between 150 millilitres and 3 litres
- are likely to be used only once or for a short period of time
Containers with a lid made from other materials are still included.
DRS are already in place in more than 50 countries and territories around the world and often these systems achieve a return rate of around 90%.
“While the scheme excludes glass in England and Northern Ireland — unlike Scotland and Wales — it’s a significant step forward in reducing waste and protecting our environment,” Adam Elman, Director of Sustainability EMEA at Google wrote on social media.
How will the UK’s DRS work?
After years of delays, the government issued a revised timetable for the long-delayed introduction of the DRS in April 2024.
Throughout the drinks supply chain, everyone must charge the deposit to their buyers including producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers.
A deposit management organisation will be appointed in April 2025 that will provide detailed guidance on the scheme and set the deposit amount.
The government also says when the DRS comes into force, businesses must only supply filled drinks containers that have been placed on the market by a registered scheme producer and carry the scheme labelling.
Karen Betts, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation, says: “This means that drinks containers will be able to be recycled and used again more efficiently and easily, which is good news for the environment, companies and consumers.
“It’s critical that the UK’s governments now work closely together to ensure the scheme is easy to use and understand, operating under the same rules and with the same labels across the four nations.
“A consistent, UK-wide approach is the best way to ensure value for money and to drive up the UK’s disappointing recycling rates.”
Producers of drinks, including manufacturers, importers and those who fill and seal drinks to order, must register with the deposit management organisation from 1 October, 2027.
Product lines with less than 5,000 units per year will be exempt from the deposit scheme but producers must still register with the organisation.
Supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents that sell drinks in the scheme must host a return point for drinks containers which can be manual or automated using a reverse vending machine.
Other types of organisations that sell drinks can apply to host a voluntary return point.
DRS throughout history
In 1799, a company in Dublin, Ireland said it would pay 2 shillings a dozen for returned soda water bottles and a similar policy was implemented by Schweppes around 1800.
The first legally binding DRS was implemented through the Litter Act in British Colombia, Canada in 1970.
Sweden legislated a system for deposits on PET bottles and aluminium cans in 1984.
Countries and territories around the world now have schemes in place, including refillable beer container legislation in Belgium and PET containers in Ecuador.
Romania’s DRS
In Romania, a successful partnership with producers, retailers, the government and the operator RetuRO is delivering strong results.
Its DRS was launched in December 2023 and more than three billion containers were returned in its first full year of operations.
“To create the system-wide change needed to address some of the more complex sustainability challenges facing our planet, you need to have a bold vision and turn it into bold action,” explains Jim Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer at PepsiCo.
“In Romania, we’ve seen what that looks like through an incredible collaboration among business, governments and communities to create the largest circular economy project in the country — and it’s working.”
In October 2024, 84% of containers sold in the market were returned through the scheme and 98% of households in Romania were aware of the scheme.
“The DRS is the largest circular economy project in Romania today,” explains Gemma Webb, CEO and President of ReturRO.
“The DRS puts in the infrastructure to make it easy for consumers to recycle.
“Our network of retailers then collect the used packaging for us to sort, count and sell to recyclers. This is highly complex as we have to have sorting and counting centres all over the country.”
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