Reacting to today’s announcement from the Welsh Government that they will be stepping away from the four nation approach to the Deposit Return Scheme, The British Retail Consortium, The Food and Drink Federation, The Association of Convenience Stores and The Industry Council for Packaging and Environment have issued the following statement:

The decision today by the Welsh Government to step away from the four nation approach to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is extremely disappointing. With industry preparing to invest billions in a UK wide DRS system, on top of new costs arising from the Chancellor’s budget, it is essential that any approach to DRS is aligned across all four nations and delivers improved recycling rates and a reduction in litter across the UK. Today’s announcement will only increase uncertainty for the scheme and cause confusion among consumers, who may feel cheated by their inability to redeem a deposit and perplexed by the inconsistent approaches just a few miles across the border. Industry will need time to understand the full implications and will need to see the full detail of Welsh Government’s approach. However, it seems highly likely this announcement and the uncertainty it brings will make the already very challenging 2027 implementation deadline even harder to deliver for England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.