The consultation will run from 18 August to 10 November 2025.
Previous consultations in Wales showed clear backing for including glass containers in a DRS – with 83% of respondents in favour – as well as support for reuse, with 73% in favour of glass bottles being refilled rather than recycled.
This latest consultation built on that feedback, asking how a DRS in Wales could incorporate both recycling and reuse in line with international best practice.
The Welsh Government said the scheme will be designed to complement other policies such as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging and DRS being developed elsewhere in the UK.
The scheme will be launched in 2027, in line with the rest of the UK.
Reuse roadmap and targets
The consultation proposed a new regulatory framework that would require the proportion of reuseable drinks containers placed on the market to rise over time.
A “reuse roadmap” will be published to guide this transition, setting out milestones for 2031, 2035 and 2040.
The roadmap will cover different packaging materials (glass bottles, PET plastic bottles and aluminium cans), types of drinks (from beer and cider to bottled water and spirits) and the range of venues where drinks are sold or consumed.
As with European schemes, where the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) already sets mandatory reuse targets, Wales is proposing to introduce binding reuse obligations.
These would apply not only to the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), which would need to ensure a minimum percentage of containers are collected for reuse, but also to producers themselves.
The consultation proposed that initial collection targets for the first three years of the scheme be set at 70%, 80% and 90%, although these will not apply to glass while it carries a zero deposit until 2030.
Standardisation, storage and delivery
The consultation also proposed standardised bottles that would be the same size and shape to simplify collection, cleaning and refilling processes.
On logistics, the consultation suggested leaving decisions on crates, bottle bags or boxes to industry, coordinated by the DMO.
Businesses running return points would receive a handling fee, negotiated between the DMO, retailers and regulators.
Technology and future outlook
The consultation sought answers about the use of new technologies, such as QR codes and 2D barcodes to track and identify containers.
It also highlighted the need for new infrastructure, including sorting and washing plants, transport systems to move refillable bottles intact and counting centres.
Looking ahead, it noted the possibility of new reusable formats emerging, such as aluminium bottles with screwcaps.
DRS glass exemptions to match pEPR
In response to previous consultations, the Welsh Government has proposed changes to glass exemption rules for product lines with less than 5,000 units placed on the market each year.
The alternative approach suggested that producers who already qualify for the low-volume exemption under the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme (those responsible for less than 25 tonnes of packaging per year) would also be exempt from the DRS.
However, the inclusion of glass has drawn strong criticism from the glass sector.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We welcome the opportunity to engage with the Welsh Government consultation on delivering DRS in Wales, but inclusion of single use and reusable glass will add complexity and cost for convenience retailers that must be accounted for in handling fees paid to retailers and the design of the whole system.
“We welcome this consultation which poses a number of vital questions. Retailers need clear answers quickly and for the scheme to be built around the operational realities of running return points.”
Concerns from the glass industry
British Glass has warned that the decision risks undermining Wales’s kerbside recycling system.
Nick Kirk, Director at British Glass, said: “Wales already has one of the best kerbside glass collection systems in the world – so why disrupt it with an expensive and unnecessary DRS that will deliver little extra benefit?
“With zero deposit on glass, the public will stick to the convenience of kerbside collections, while producers face high fees and added complexity.
“We support glass reuse, but it must be a UK-wide system so that brands and retailers can commit with confidence.”
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has also voiced concerns. Chief Executive Miles Beale said: “The Welsh Government’s proposal for a separate and different Deposit Return Scheme in Wales, one that includes glass, is concerning.
“It risks undermining an existing recycling system that is ‘best in class’ and creating new and significant market distortions.”
The WSTA warned that the plans could result in higher costs for businesses and consumers, supply chain disruption and reduced product choice if companies withdraw from the Welsh market.
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