The scheme will start from October 2027, in line with the rest of the UK, but will be the only scheme to include glass bottles.
The Welsh government said that the vote, made yesterday (25 March 2026), “provides the certainty needed” for work on the DRS to progress.
The Welsh Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “This is a significant moment for Wales. International evidence shows a Deposit Return Scheme can tackle litter, improve on the go recycling and further reduce waste.
“This will keep valuable materials in circulation for longer – building on the world-leading recycling system Wales has already developed.
“I look forward to working closely with businesses, local authorities, and communities as we move towards implementation in 2027.”
Wales will now look to enter the next phase of implementation – including the appointment of the Deposit Management Organisation to run the scheme.
In January, it was announced that the UK-wide DMO would operate under the name Exchange for Change.
The Welsh government is also set to explore how the use of reusable drinks containers could be encouraged as a bit to embed reuse in the scheme.
Deposit Return Scheme
The DRS will see a deposit added to the price of single-use plastic bottles and drinks cans measuring between 150ml and three litres.
The deposit is rumoured to be about 20p per container, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Consumers will be required to return their containers at Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) to reclaim their deposit.
It was announced this week that the regular planning permission process will be waived to allow for RVMs to be installed without full permission.
Find out more about the policy and regulation updates, technology and infrastructure, and consumer engaging ahead of the introduction of the scheme at the Deposit Return Scheme Conference on 30 April 2026 in London.
