The Westminster government has confirmed that the introduction of deposit return schemes (DRS) in the UK will be pushed back two years to October 2027.
DRS in Scotland has been delayed a number of times previously and was most recently scheduled for an October 2025 UK-wide go-live date.
In a written ministerial statement published this morning (25 April), Robbie Moore MP said this was a “stretching” target and that an October 2027 implementation would be required to ensure that the rollout of schemes was effective and efficient.
The revised date is subject to agreement from the devolved administrations.
Moore also confirmed that the UK government has no intention of including glass within its DRS, with only the Welsh government currently committed to a scheme that includes glass. The statement refers to figures from Keep Britain Tidy which show that just 4% of litter was comprised of glass drinks containers in 2020.
Food and Drink Federation Scotland welcomed the postponement. Chief executive officer David Thomson commented: “We welcome today’s confirmation that a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme will be put in place – this will play an important part in achieving Scotland’s circular economy ambitions. Drinks containers will be able to be recycled and used again more efficiently and easily, this is good news for our environment, our businesses, and our people.
“It’s critical that the Scottish Government and governments across the UK work closely together to ensure the scheme is a success. It needs to be easy to use and understand, operate under the same rules and with the same labels across the four nations. A consistent, UK-wide approach is the best way to ensure value for money and to achieve a circular economy.”
