Defra has confirmed that the UK’s much-delayed deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers is still planned to launch in October 2027.
This came after a government minister said the roll out of the scheme would be brought forward.
In response to a question tabled by the Liberal Democrats asking if there were plans to introduce DRS before October 2027, Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said, “Yes.”
In a written answer of 29 July, Creagh also said: “We are reviewing the suite of packaging reforms and are going to work with our devolved government counterparts, industry and other stakeholders to determine the next steps for the Deposit Return Scheme.”
However, on 19 August Defra said the new Labour government didn’t want to move the date forward and was determined to continue with the current timetable.
This will see DRS roll out across the UK from October 2027, with separate schemes in each of the four home nations.
The UK government and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have agreed to align on the key elements of DRS such as a uniform level of deposit, labelling and a single point of registration for producers and retailers. However, Wales remains the only country that wants to include glass bottles in the scheme.
