No date for bottle returns as Welsh government exits UK scheme

The Welsh government has decided not to join a UK-wide return scheme for bottles and cans and will run its own instead.

While people in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will get some money back when they return plastic and metal containers to shops from 2027, in Wales that will happen later with no start date currently set.

It comes after Welsh ministers tried and failed to get the UK government to agree to glass being part of Wales’ version of the scheme.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies blamed UK internal market rules inherited from the previous Conservative government.

The UK government said it will press ahead with the scheme in the rest of the UK, which they said will go live in October 2027.

Welsh Conservatives accused co-operation had “fallen apart” between the two Labour governments in Wales and Westminster.

The British Soft Drinks Association said the Welsh government’s decision “undermines efforts” to deliver an aligned DRS scheme across the UK, while a hospitality group said a Wales-only scheme would only increase costs.

Under DRS people would be offered money or vouchers for the return of bottles or cans, which could be reused or recycled.

It is not clear when the Wales-only scheme would come into force – officials say the law required for its introduction will not be introduced until the next Senedd term which starts in 2026 and ends in 2030.

All four UK nations had been working together to agree a joint approach.

Wales was the last nation planning to include glass in its deposit return scheme (DRS), following a row where the UK government had refused Scotland permission to include the material in their version.

The glass industry has lobbied against the material being included in DRS, preferring it to remain part of household recycling.

British Glass said in 2021 that including glass in DRS schemes can incentivise the use of plastic packaging and can add significant costs.

The previous UK government argued glass containers, being heavy and fragile, were more difficult for consumers to return. Brewers in Wales had also expressed concerns.

Under the Internal Market Act 2020, the UK government has to give its permission if a devolved government wants to restrict the trade of goods.

Labour UK circular economy minister Mark Creagh confirmed in October that the deposit scheme in England and Northern Ireland would only include PET plastic, steel and aluminium drinks containers, sticking to the previous Tory policy.

Janet Finch-Saunders, Welsh Conservative shadow climate change minister, said: “The Labour Government in Wales insisted it would work in tandem with UK Labour, yet it is clear from this announcement that cooperation has fallen apart within Eluned Morgan’s first 100 days.

“With thousands crossing the Welsh – English border on a daily basis, 16 million people living within 50 miles of the border in England and Wales, and trade between both countries fluid, it is essential that we have the same deposit return scheme.”

British Soft Drinks Association Director General, Gavin Partington, said: “We regret the Welsh government’s decision which undermines efforts to deliver an aligned Deposit Return Scheme across the UK and help the move towards a circular economy.

“We remain committed to a DRS for cans and PET delivered by October 2027 and will continue to work with Governments to achieve this.”

UK Hospitality Cymru, which represents pubs, restaurants and other businesses in the sector, said the Welsh government’s move was “extremely disappointing”.

“Successful Deposit Return Schemes will deliver maximum alignment and interoperability between nations. That unfortunately now looks further away than ever with this decision,” it said.

“A Welsh scheme, which is not aligned with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, only serves to increase cost and complexity for businesses operating across the UK, makes the objective of improving recycling more difficult and could lead to a reduction in products available in Wales.”

The Marine Conservation Society said it respected the Welsh government’s decision and supported the goal of implementing a scheme by 2027 in Wales, including glass.

It said: “Last year our volunteers found drinks-related litter on 96% of beaches surveyed in Wales, highlighting the desperate need for promised Deposit Return Schemes.”

Keep Wales Today said it remained disappointed by the UK government’s decision to exclude glass from their plans.

It added: “While the delay is frustrating, this decision is ultimately the right one for Wales in the long term. With some of the highest recycling rates in the world, adopting a system that excludes glass would not only offer poor value for money but also significantly reduce the scheme’s potential impact.”

Recycling rates hit a new record in Wales in October – with two thirds of council-collected waste now recycled, re-used or composted.

Huw Irranca-Davies said: “In partnership with the UK and devolved governments, we have been working to initiate a joint process to appoint the deposit management organisation for our respective schemes later this month.

“However, in the time available it has not been possible to address the issues to the operation of devolution caused by the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, inherited by the UK government from the previous administration.”

Officials said it had not been possible to conclude the process in time for setting up the joint organisation that would manage the system.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We are committed to delivering a Deposit Return Scheme across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, which will go live in October 2027.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with the devolved governments and industry to ensure our scheme works for businesses and consumers, while creating thousands of green jobs, driving investment into new infrastructure and moving towards a circular economy.”