Hi there. I’m Shehab, a Team Leader at Defra and I want to tell you about the new deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, which will be introduced across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2027.
When did you last buy a drink in a single-use container? Maybe it was a bottle of water in the morning, your favourite smoothie with a lunchtime meal deal, or a soft drink in a can – ready to enjoy whilst you unwind in the evening.
Chances are it wasn’t very long ago – we get through a lot of them. 25 billion, in fact! That’s how many we buy across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland each year.
How many single-use bottles are thrown away?
An estimated 6.5 billion of these single-use drinks bottles and cans per year go to waste rather than being recycled. That's over 17 million each day. This means an unimaginably large amount of plastic, aluminium, or steel is used only once then thrown away.
Far too many of these bottles and cans end up littered on our high streets or strewn across our beaches and countryside, causing harm to our precious wildlife. Research from the Marine Conservation Society shows 97% of surveyed beaches were polluted with drinks-related items in 2023.
Much of this coastal litter ends up floating in our waters. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic is currently found in oceans worldwide.
The same durability that makes plastic so useful for things like drinks containers also makes it nearly impossible for nature to completely break down. Instead, they break into tiny pieces called ‘microplastics’ which enter our food chains, harming ecosystems and biodiversity.
I cannot understate the scale and impact of this problem. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The new deposit return scheme will help to tackle this challenge whilst giving the public money back for returning drinks containers.
So what is a deposit return scheme?
With successful examples in countries like Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland, deposit return schemes are a common-sense way to encourage us all to recycle our drinks containers.
Under this scheme, a redeemable deposit is placed on specific drinks containers that can be claimed when the item is returned to a collection point, such as a local supermarket.
There’s no need for a receipt or proof of purchase, so anyone can return their own drinks containers or ones that they find, as long as they’re in good nick. This means we can all chip in to help clean up our communities – and get something for it.
This simple change will reward people for doing the right thing and recycling their empty drinks containers. Together, we will turn the tide on plastic waste.
Deposit return schemes have a proven track record
The average return rate for European countries with a scheme is 87%, according to global eNGO Reloop, with Germany showing the best results at 98%.
More bottles and cans returned means more bottles and cans recycled – crucially meaning fewer items being littered and causing damage to ecosystems on land and at sea.
Just two years after a deposit return scheme was launched in Latvia, the number of drinks containers being found on the coastline of the Baltic Sea had reduced by half. During a clean-up of the Gauja river (the country’s largest), volunteers looked for drink containers eligible under the return scheme – they found zero!
Recycling an old idea
You might have already seen deposit return schemes in action at events like music festivals, where picking up and returning a handful of bottles and cups can earn you some money back.
In fact, many may recall the smaller-scale bottle deposit schemes that some UK companies used to run in the 1960s-70s.
The idea isn’t new, but the scale of the ambition is.
This deposit return scheme will span three nations: England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, covering a combined population of 65 million.
If you’re wondering about Wales, they are working on their own DRS which will work alongside the schemes in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
A more circular way of living
Deposit return schemes ensure that valuable materials are collected, recycled and made back into new drinks containers – a perfectly sustainable loop.
This is a great example of what is known as the circular economy. This is about maximising the life of our resources and reducing waste. This, in turn, delivers environmental benefits and boosts the economy with new green jobs and investment.
At its heart, the deposit return scheme is an environmental policy that will tackle the scourge of littered drinks containers, preserve our beaches and countryside, protect our wildlife and tidy up our streets.
What happens next
The deposit return scheme for drinks containers will be introduced in October 2027 in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
We have been working closely with our Devolved Government colleagues, as well as industry, for several years to develop the policy and legislation. Now that the regulations are in place, we can appoint the scheme administrator – also known as the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) – in April 2025.
As with most other international schemes, the DMO will be a not-for-profit, industry-led body made up of drinks producers, retailers, and the wider supply chain, and will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the scheme.
Every community should be able to take pride in where they live, and this starts with clean streets and vibrant green spaces free from litter. Simple but ambitious changes like the deposit return scheme will help make this a reality.
If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact DRS@defra.gov.uk.
13 comments
Comment by Scott Gibbins posted on
Hopefully IT WILL HAPPEN THIS TIME,for too long now governments have been kicking this particularl can up the road .....& it's been mainly wombles picking it up time after time ......this will reduce fresh litter massively & be phenomenal for our environment ....winners all round .....its a shame we have to wait ANOTHER 2 years which mean billions more of it will become litter & go to landfill ......clocks tickicking
Comment by R West posted on
I shop exclusively online but with different supermarkets. If I say buy a bottle of wine from Ocado, will Sainsburys accept the empty bottle being given to the delivery driver?
Will the ‘bottle tax’ be given in cash or as a credit?
Will local authorities continue to accept bottles, plastics and tins??
These points all need communicating directly to the public or the bottle tax will be regarded just like the Poll Tax.
Comment by jessicaeverett posted on
Hello,
Thank you for your questions. To be clear, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will not be a tax - the deposit will be paid back to consumers upon returning the drinks container (or containers). The scheme administrator will ensure that returning items is as easy as possible for consumers.
Regarding your question about buying from different retailers - if you buy a DRS eligible item from one retailer, you'll be able to return it to different retailer. Returning to your delivery driver is likely not something that will be available from the initial launch of the DRS, though some retailers may choose to offer an “online takeback” service.
There isn't a set way that deposits will be paid. Return points will have to offer at least one of the following options: paying to consumers in cash, by a payment to a debit or credit card, or with a refund voucher.
And just to clarify, glass bottles will not be included in the DRS. The scheme will cover plastic bottles and aluminium or steel cans.
Finally, the DRS will not affect local authority collections of recyclables. Your deposit will not be returned to you via your local authority.
We'll publish more details about how DRS will operate as we approach the launch of the scheme in October 2027.
Best wishes,
Jess (The Blog Team)
Comment by Phil Unhappy. posted on
I've just seen a wonderful Clip on the Web about the Irish Scheme.
there are some points of concern.
1, I pay for my green recycling bin at home. Now if I put my plastic bottle in my green recycle bin, I lose my deposit.
2, I'll have to store all my used items which I've paid a deposit on at home before I can return them..
3, I'll have to return them to get a voucher to then queue to get my deposit back.. When I could have just put the items in my recycle bin at home.
4, At some point the shops where these new recycle machines have been installed, will recover their costs by increasing the prices of their products.
5, If you shop online for whatever reason, you'll now need to go the the shops with all your used deposit paid items.
And finally, the companies selling all this plastic are excused their part in the global problem they've created but we the customers are picking up their bill/costs.
Great idea but why should I pay more for services I already have, and then lose my time to ensure big business makes more profits.
Comment by jessicaeverett posted on
Hello Phil,
Thank you for your comment.
We do appreciate that a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will require behaviour change. But, as the UK’s single-use plastic bag charge showed, a relatively small financial incentive changed consumer behaviour and drastically reduced the number of plastic bags discarded as litter.
It is estimated that approximately 4 billion plastic bottles and 2.5 billion metal drinks containers are not recycled each year. In 2020, a Keep Britain Tidy study found that single-use drinks containers were some of the UK’s most littered items – up to 55% of litter by volume.
A DRS will end the epidemic of unsightly litter on our streets, improve our countryside, preserve our wildlife, and protect our beaches and marine environment.
Best wishes,
Jess (The Blog Team)
Comment by Steve H posted on
On reading the statement below (from your reply to a question on the upcoming DRS scheme in England) I would like to point out, as others have undoubtedly done, a fundamental problem with the proposed plan.
You stated “…..the DRS will not affect local authority collections of recyclables. Your deposit will not be returned to you via your local authority”.
Clearly, this means that the vast majority of the public - those that like me conscientiously recycle EVERY plastic bottle or aluminium can they ever use via the local authority collection will either have to separately collect those items and drive them to a DRS collection point, or miss out on the refund that other current non-recyclers will soon benefit from !
This seems unfair and inconvenient for the potentially large number of households who are unable to do this.
Has any consideration been given to rewarding local authority collection users for their continued support of local recycling efforts by giving vouchers or similar for every bin collection that includes DRS qualifying items ?
Bearing in mind that the majority of local authority recycling bin contents will be DRS qualifying items, are you seriously expecting people to suddenly start taking vast amounts of these items to collection points instead - or are you hopeful that households will just carry on recycling as now so that the unclaimed refunds can swell someones coffers ?
Comment by Baniel Wick posted on
An excellent blog that clearly explains the new Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers. It provides simple yet highly informative details on how the scheme works, its benefits for recycling, and how it encourages responsible waste management. A wonderful read for anyone looking to reduce waste and support sustainability efforts in their community!Please follwing the given below link: http://www.atlanticrecycling.co.uk
Comment by Conor Breen posted on
Hi Shehab thanks to you and DEFRA for the information and effort you have put in - there is time to iron out teething problems - as ever the devil will be in the detail and there are some fairly testing Q's already above. I think the person raising the q's about council recycling collections has a point but it's difficult to see how that could be resolved. Hopefully councils could receive payments for recycled items and so council coffers might be boosted -reducing council tax or having extra revenue for cervices delivered?
Comment by Dave Taylor posted on
How will this affect kerbside collections? I never visit a supermarket as I don't drive so shop online. Will I just have to pay the 'tax' and hope the council still bothers to recycle bottles?
If councils continue won't people just go through bins on recycling day to steal the drinks containers?
Comment by jessicaeverett posted on
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your question. I spoke to the policy team, and they said:
"Kerbside collections will still be in effect. A deposit return scheme enables the separate sorting of drinks containers by material at source, rather than them being collected as part of kerbside services, where materials streams are often mixed.
The separate sorting will reduce the level of contamination from the residue on other materials and packaging types, and the amount of material that is subsequently rejected for recycling. As a result, this will improve the quality of what is being recycled and reduce the reliance on virgin material, saving on carbon emissions and promoting a circular loop for drinks containers – one of the most commonly littered items.
The Deposit Management Organisations will be setting up a returns network that will make returning drinks container as easy as possible. They will consider spatial distribution and look at areas with high littering and high footfall, such as shopping centres, as well as considering access needs."
Thank you,
Jess (The Blog Team)
Comment by Waqas ahmad posted on
I am very eager waiting for this scheme to come through I have already started my ground work preparing for this scheme I would really love to earn from this scheme right now I collect cans and do street pick up collecting cans and it brings me quite Abit in I enjoy my work when this scheme is here it will give me a better income which is tax free
Comment by Adrian Nigel Hawken posted on
I have today had £100 put into my bank account with no explanation from anyone
Is this from your DRS scheme
Comment by jessicaeverett posted on
Hi Adrian,
No, this is not from the DRS scheme. The scheme is not due to start until 2027 (and the payment received will be dependent on you returning the recyclable items).
Thank you,
Jess (The Blog Team)