DRS legislation comes into force

The legislation passed a parliamentary vote six days ago (21 January 2025) with a majority of 277. 

The scheme will officially launch in October 2027, but the new development will enable the appointment of a scheme administrator – known as the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) – in April 2025. 

Defra said that DMO will be a not-for-profit, industry-led body responsible for the administration and day-to-day running of the scheme. 

Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “This government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.   

“This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife. Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs.”  

Defra described the scheme as a “common-sense” method of encouraging the public to recycle. More than 50 countries worldwide currently have a DRS in place – including Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.  

Defra has also today released new guidance on the details of the DRS, including that HDPE containers will be excluded from the scheme.

The scheme will apply to 150ml to three-litre single-use drinks containers made from plastic and metal. 

In November last year, Wales announced that it would be pulling out of the joint UK-wide DRS. Scotland is currently in the process of creating its own DRS regulations.  

Defra said that the three government who remain in the scheme will work together with businesses to ensure effective implementation. 

Northern Ireland’s agriculture, environment and rural affairs minister Andrew Muir said: “I have ambitious goals to protect our climate, drive green growth and reduce unnecessary waste. The creation of a DRS plays a key part in delivering those goals.    

“The introduction of the new parliamentary regulations is a significant step in that process and signals our commitment to move forward together to make those ambitions a reality.” 

Across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy an estimated 30 billion single-use drinks containers each year – including 12 billion plastic drinks bottles and 13 billion drinks cans. An estimated 6.5 billion go to incineration or landfill rather than being recycled. 

‘A silver bullet’ 

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, added: “A Deposit Return Scheme really is a silver bullet that will get plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans out of our parks, off our streets and away from our rivers and seas.   

“Depressingly we litter, burn or bury millions of drinks containers each and every day. This legislation will end all that, save the taxpayer millions in clean-up costs and give recycling a real shot in the arm.   

“Backed and paid for by producers, this method of retrieval and recycling is tried and tested the world over so at Keep Britain Tidy we are putting out the bunting that this government is committed to make it happen, for us all.”