Wales Looks to Rejoin UK-Wide Deposit Return Scheme After Going Its Own Way

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The Welsh Government has announced plans to implement its deposit return scheme by October 2027, aiming to launch in line with the rest of the UK. However, the move has stirred criticism, particularly from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), over the inclusion of glass containers. Unlike the UK-wide approach focused on recycling, Wales intends to use a “reuse” model where glass bottles are returned, refilled, and put back into circulation.

Across the rest of the UK, the 2027 rollout will cover plastic, aluminium, and steel drinks containers. The newly appointed UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd (UKDMO) has been tasked with overseeing that process. Meanwhile, Wales is charting its course.

According to British Glass, glass packaging is already doing quite well on the sustainability front, with nearly 75% of all glass in the UK being recycled. Critics argue that including glass in the Welsh system creates unnecessary complications. For one, producers may need to develop two separate versions of the same product, one for Wales and one for the rest of the UK. Retailers in Wales would also face a new operational burden, as they would need to store returned glass bottles intact so that they can be refilled, rather than crushed for recycling.

Last month, the Welsh Government rejected an offer from the UKDMO to align with the broader UK scheme. That offer included a reuse pilot specifically for Wales. Still, Welsh officials opted to press ahead independently, citing their long-standing focus on reuse as justification.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “We have learned over the last decade of talks and trials on the introduction of a deposit return scheme that the operation of the scheme is complex. This becomes exponentially more challenging when there are fundamentally different approaches in different parts of the UK. Today, we have seen welcome alignment around the treatment of all materials except glass. However, the inclusion of glass in Wales and the adoption of an entirely different model to that being used elsewhere in the UK will raise a host of questions about how retailers will collect glass bottles, with no answers available yet. 

“ACS and our members are fully committed to making a DRS scheme work despite significant operational challenges. This unnecessary operational complexity and uncertainty leaves businesses running and supplying shops in Wales confused and frustrated.” 

ACS and several other industry groups are urging Wales to reconsider its decision. Their suggestion? Stick with a consistent UK-wide framework and test reuse models through dedicated pilots, rather than launching a parallel scheme that adds friction to supply chains and complicates logistics for retailers.