Wales to align with UK DRS schedule after industry pushback

The Welsh Government is launching its DRS scheme alongside the UK amid growing industry concern over a lack of a harmonized approach. The Welsh DRS will not feature glass as originally planned, but, unlike the rest of the UK, will incorporate QR codes on bottles and cans that capitalize on existing recycling infrastructure.

Initially, the Welsh Government intended to create an independent DRS system after it failed to convince the rest of the UK to include glass.

However, as indicated in a statement by Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, concerns over “operational complexity” and “associated costs” have pushed the Welsh Government to align with the UK-wide DRS.

Glass remains outside the DRS — it can be collected, but customers will not be refunded. Bottle and can returns across the UK are set to start in October 2027. 

“Reloop welcomes the update on the DRS by the deputy first minister for Wales. We are pleased by the Welsh Government’s offer to align timelines on common materials with a phased approach to introducing glass and reuse,” Sarah Horner, UK and Ireland director at circular economy non-profit Reloop, tells Packaging Insights.

“We support this approach and call on the UK Deposit Management Organisation and the UK Government to support the Welsh Government’s environmental ambitions.”

Irranca-Davies highlights that the Welsh Government listened to industry feedback, which cautioned against the consequences of there “no longer being a single approach” for the UK. 

A single approach for DRS success

Deputy first minister Irranca-Davies indicates that the current situation around Wales’ DRS is a consequence of the previous UK Government’s decision to remove glass from the original UK-wide scheme.

The previous government was concerned glass in DRS would impact drinks industry.He adds: “I recognize however the importance of taking action to avoid unintended consequences and take these issues seriously.”

“While Wales has remained consistent with the previously agreed UK-wide approach, I have listened carefully to industry’s concerns about the risks that come about as a consequence of there no longer being a single approach that works for the whole of the UK.” 

“This is not a situation of the Welsh Government’s making, as it stems directly from decisions taken by the previous UK Government to depart from the agreed approach of a DRS that included glass.” 

The previous Conservative administration opposed the inclusion of glass, citing the difficulties it would cause the drinks industry. 

Reloop’s Horner adds: “We hope all involved remember the benefits DRS brings in meeting public demand for cleaner beaches, streets, trails, and green spaces.” 

“Deposit return is also part of a more circular economy for all nations in the UK that recognizes the value of reusing wasted materials, keeping materials in use for longer and regenerating natural systems.”

Wales’ hybrid solution

Polytag, a Wales-based software company, has commended the scheme’s digital element. The system allows consumers to scan QR codes on containers using a mobile app before placing them in curbside recycling streams to claim the deposit. 

Consumers scan QR codes on bottles to claim the deposit.The rest of the UK has not planned to include a digital element in the DRS. Instead, it will focus on “traditional” return vending machine (RVM) infrastructure.

Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, tells us that the UK favors this model because of its successful track record in Europe. She highlights that “since a nationwide digital DRS hasn’t been implemented before, this conventional approach has been the primary consideration since discussions began.”

However, she asserts that Wales’ dedication to a digital solution is a “crucial endorsement” of hybrid solutions, which have the “potential to provide significant economic and environmental benefits while maximizing outcomes and removing barriers for consumers compared to an RVM-only model.”

The digital system will reimburse consumers using existing recycling infrastructure, eliminating the need to store and transport empty packaging to return points, as is common in many DRS systems. 

During a 2021 pilot, Conwy Council in North Wales saw 90% of households scan more than four bottles in one month.

Rackley concludes: “We’re confident that the Welsh Government’s move to embrace digital DRS will positively inform and accelerate the adoption of similar smart, efficient solutions across the wider UK, creating an effective circular economy.”