Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
The decision, which follows a consultation, comes after several years of lobbying from environmental groups.
The consultation resulted in 83% support for introducing a DRS scheme, says the government, which first promised to bring in a scheme five years ago when the then environment secretary Michael Gove promised a scheme was forthcoming.
In the meantime,the Scottish government has gone ahead with its own version of the scheme, which is due to begin in August this year.
Now the UK government has said its scheme for the rest of the UK will be introduced in October 2025, with further details to be announced in summer 2024.
The scheme will include special “reverse vending machines” where consumers can return their bottles and receive their deposits back.
The intention of both DRS schemes is to introduce an incentive to people to recycle their drinks containers, reducing litter and pollution.
The latest announcement, made today by environment minister Rebecca Pow, the MP for Taunton Deane, received a mixed response.
It was welcomed the Federation of Independent Retailers, whose national president, Jason Birks, said: “We are happy to see the outcome of the consultation has favoured DRS.
“As a federation that has always been supportive of DRS, we are looking forward to engaging with the scheme operators to ensure a successful outcome for our members, many of whose stores will be actively involved.
“It is important that independent retailers are included in discussions, as they are vital return-point operators. The Fed will continue to monitor DRS as it progresses and will update its members accordingly.”
Others were less welcoming, including environmental group Greenpeace, which characterised the proposals as too little, too late, and highlighted the proposed exclusion of glass containers.
Megan Randles, political campaigner at the group, said: “Five years ago, Greenpeace was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with campaigning groups across the country calling for a deposit return scheme.
“Five years of wasted action on plastic waste. Five years of dithering and pollution. Five years of lobbying and watering down.
“This could have been a moment for celebration, and of course for our environment it’s better to have this proposed system rather than nothing.
“But even at the final hurdle, this government bottled it and excluded glass from the scheme.
“In what kind of world is collecting glass drinks containers not an essential part of a system designed to collect drinks containers?”
It is understood that glass bottles will be included in the DRS scheme for Wales, but not for England and Northern Ireland.
