The UK Government is implementing legislation for a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland. Starting in October 2027, consumers will pay a small extra fee when they purchase drinks in plastic bottles or cans and can recover the fee when they return them to a collection point for recycling.
Across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy an estimated 30 billion single-use drink containers each year including 12 billion plastic bottles and 13 billion cans. An estimated 6.5 billion single-use bottles and cans per year go to waste rather than being recycled, with many ending up as litter. Research from the Marine Conservation Society shows 97% of surveyed beaches were polluted with drinks-related items in 2023.
DRSs are used in more than 50 countries worldwide as a means of encouraging people to recycle more single-use bottles and cans. Countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland have successfully implemented schemes, ensuring materials are collected, recycled and made back into new drinks containers. The average return rate for European countries with a DRS is 90%, according to global eNGO Reloop, with Germany showing the best results at 98%.
The legislation creates a scheme administrator, known as the Deposit Management Organization, which will be a not-for-profit, industry-led body responsible for the administration and day-to-day running of the scheme.
While England, Northern Ireland and Scotland are intent on initiating this plan On 18 November 2024, the Welsh Government announced a delay to their Deposit Return Scheme.
Wales is already ranked second in the world for recycling. Their government is implementing a scheme into an already high recycling nation. For this reason, they prefer to continue to work on a scheme that is right for their context.
The DRS will begin with 150 milliliter to three-liter single-use containers made from plastic and metal included as objects that can be deposited.
