The UK Government recently made a number of announcements regarding the status of the Welsh Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
The UK Government has proposed an exclusion via the Internal Market Act (IMA), subject to the following:
- Wales commences its DRS for plastic and metal drinks containers as planned on 1 October 2027
- Plastic and metal drinks containers must meet key criteria for integrating with a UK-wide scheme (this includes ensuring that schemes have a single registration and reporting system, processes for reciprocal takeback of material – for example, material can be returned in any nation, consistent logos and the same deposit level)
- The proposed transitional period for single-use glass is extended (where a 0p deposit applies and no labelling requirements or targets apply) to October 2031
- On reuse, given the policy in Wales is still under development, UK Government has been unable to agree a UKIM Act exclusion for this part of the proposal. The UK Government will continue further discussions with the devolved governments on the potential for alignment across the UK on reuse.
