Ministers have implemented legislation for the scheme for drink containers in England and Northern Ireland. The initiative is scheduled to launch in October 2027, with 150ml to three-litre single-use drinks containers made from plastic and metal included in the scheme.
Under the plans, consumers will pay a deposit on a drink but can get this refunded if they return the container to a collection point, such as at their local supermarket for the objects to be recycled.
Deposit return schemes are already used in more than 50 countries worldwide to encourage people to recycle more single-use bottles and cans.
Countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland have successfully implemented schemes, ensuring valuable materials are collected, recycled and made back into new drink containers.
The average return rate for European countries with a DRS is 90%, according to global eNGO Reloop, with Germany showing the best results at 98%. The Government said that introducing such a scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be “a simple yet hugely effective way of addressing problems with rubbish building up on our streets and in our rivers and oceans, while also ensuring the public gets money back on their bottle”.
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Across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy an estimated 30 billion single-use drink containers each year – including 12 billion plastic drink bottles and 13 billion drink cans.
An estimated 6.5 billion single-use drink bottles and cans per year go to waste rather than being recycled, with many ending up littered. Research from the Marine Conservation Society shows 97% of surveyed beaches were polluted with drinks-related items in 2023.
Turning trash into cash
Mary Creagh, circular economy minister, said: “This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society. This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife.
“Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said: “A deposit return scheme really is a silver bullet that will get plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans out of our parks, off our streets and away from our rivers and seas.
“Depressingly we litter, burn or bury millions of drink containers each and every day. This legislation will end all that, save the taxpayer millions in clean-up costs and give recycling a real shot in the arm.
“Backed and paid for by producers, this method of retrieval and recycling is tried and tested the world over so at Keep Britain Tidy we are putting out the bunting that this government is committed to make it happen, for us all.”
Legislation has also been laid to ban the sale of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025. eNGO Material Focus estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in 2023.