UK government update: Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers
Published 19 November 2024
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The UK Government is fully committed to a Deposit Return Scheme and will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland to launch the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027.
On 18 November 2024, the Welsh Government announced a delay to their Deposit Return Scheme.
With Wales already ranked second in the world for recycling, they are in a unique position of 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.
We will continue to work in partnership with the Welsh Government, as they make decisions regarding a Deposit Return Scheme in Wales.
The benefits of a Deposit Return Scheme are significant.
Deposit Return Schemes are a proven way to drastically reduce littering of single-use drinks containers, to drive up recycling rates, and to support the Government’s aim to move to a circular economy.
Given the huge amount of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and metal drinks containers on the market (12 billion PET and 14 billion cans), this would make a huge difference.
Deposit Return Schemes have been proven to significantly reduce drinks container litter, as well as other types of litter, as drinks containers can be ‘magnets’ attracting other types of litter.
Of all littering measured by Keep Britain Tidy’s 2020 composition analysis, 55% of litter by volume was plastic and metal drinks containers.
Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme will create around 4,000 new jobs across the UK (based on a report by The Countryside Charity) and will bring investment in infrastructure required to deliver the scheme.
The UK Government is committed to working closely with industry to design a scheme that works for businesses and consumers.
We are firmly committed to our timeframe of launching a Deposit Return Scheme in October 2027. As the next step in delivery of the scheme, we intend to lay regulations for England and Northern Ireland in November 2024, when parliamentary time allows, which will enable us to progress with the appointment of the Deposit Management Organisations in April 2025.
We look forward to working closely with industry on successful delivery of our Deposit Return Scheme.