Plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme in Wales, which will see consumers charged a small fee when purchasing certain types of drink containers, being refunded when they return these to a shop, have moved one step closer with the launch of a government consultation.
The UK had planned to introduce a DRS in 2023, with single-use drinks containers holding between 150ml and three litres incurring a small additional charge upon purchase, with this deposit being refunded in cash or retail vouchers upon the containers’ return to any participating shop.
The planned introduction of the scheme was subsequently pushed back to 2027, with ministers blaming the Welsh government for wanting to include glass bottles, as well as plastic, aluminium and steel containers, in the scheme.
While England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are each developing their own version of the DRS, the four separate schemes would work in conjunction with each other, something that would be made all the more complex were they schemes to vary in their scopes.
The inclusion of glass containers was not seen as viable by England due to concerns the Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) that would process empty containers and issue refunds would need to be significantly more expensive and complex were they to process glass in addition to metal and plastic.
While Scotland had initially wanted to include glass, it and Northern Ireland are aligning with England and excluding the material from their Deposit Return Schemes.
The Welsh government is pushing ahead with the inclusion of glass bottles, however, with the authority wanting to include these from day one of the scheme’s operation – though no deposit will be required when drinks sold in glass bottles are purchased.
Nonetheless, the inclusion of glass in Welsh DRS proposals have provoked criticism from industry figures.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), says that while “retailers look forward to working with the Welsh Government to deliver a UK-wide DRS” he does not understand why Wales is “pushing proposals to also include single-use glass containers without a deposit initially”.
Opie adds that while “Welsh Ministers deserve credit for listening to businesses and experts” after agreeing to align on most points with the other three nations, the BRC is “not convinced by the current proposals for single-use glass”.
He describes this detail as “antiquated” and warns the inclusion of glass risks “adding unnecessary costs without delivering clear benefits for consumers or the environment”.
Also sounding a note of caution is the Association of Convenience Stores’ (ACS) chief executive, James Lowman, who says that while the DRS is already “complex”, it becomes “exponentially more challenging when there are fundamentally different approaches in different parts of the UK”.
Lowman says that while his organisation welcomes the “opportunity to engage” with the Welsh government, “the 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”.
The Welsh Government is inviting responses until November 10.
