DRS

UK DMO begins work to deliver Deposit Return Schemes

2025-05-07 3:11 min Sorting and collection

UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd London, United Kingdom

UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd (UK DMO) has been announced as the operator of the new Deposit Return Schemes for single-use plastic and metal drinks containers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The appointment has been made by the UK Government and DAERA. In Scotland, Scottish Ministers have also decided that UK DMO should be designated as the DRS scheme administrator.*

UK DMO is a business-led, not-for-profit organisation created to deliver one of the most significant environmental infrastructure programmes in a generation across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Once launched, the Deposit Return Schemes will cut litter, boost recycling and reduce carbon emissions.

According to a report from The Countryside Charity, introducing DRS is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs across the UK and will bring significant investment in infrastructure required to deliver the scheme including storage, logistics, and reprocessing.

UK DMO will now begin engaging with partners including the three governments, business, including drinks producers and retailers, consumer and environmental groups to design and operate a scheme which works for everyone.

Built by business, working for everyone

UK DMO is governed by a Board that brings together voices from across the drinks and retail sector across all three nations. Members have been nominated by trade associations representing both large and small producers, major supermarkets, small convenience stores and wholesalers from across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Recruitment is also underway for an independent Chair and non-executive directors.

The Board includes highly experienced figures from companies including Shepley Spring, Radnor Hills, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Heineken UK, Lidl, Tesco and Co-op. Many of the Board members bring experience working in international markets where deposit return schemes are already in place.

UK DMO is responsible for designing and operating the systems that make the scheme work – from producer registration to logistics, finance, fraud prevention and public communications.

In a joint statement, the UK DMO Board said:

“DRS is an opportunity to deliver a transformational step forward in the circular economy in the UK and the appointment of the DMO is a major milestone in that journey. We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge, but our aim is simple – to build a system that’s fair, efficient and easy to use. Our work is already underway, and we’ll be working closely with governments, businesses of all sizes, environmental groups and consumer bodies to move forward as quickly as possible.”

A landmark scheme

UK DMO has been tasked by the three governments with delivering a Deposit Return Scheme to go live in October 2027. From that date, when people buy drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and 3 litres, they will pay a small deposit – which they will get back in full when they return the empty container for recycling.

Every year, 6.5 billion drinks containers are discarded across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. contributing to 43% of all litter. The scheme aims to reduce this significantly while increasing recycling rates and reducing emissions.

British Soft Drinks Association Director General, Gavin Partington said:

“The British Soft Drinks Association welcomes the UK Government’s appointment of UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd as scheme administrator for its Deposit Return Scheme. This appointment marks a key milestone in realising the opportunities of a more circular economy, driving £1.13bn of industry investment over the next three years and creating more than 4,000 jobs across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British soft drinks industry looks forward to playing our part in ensuring successful delivery of a DRS by October 2027.”

Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association Executive Director, Michael Bell OBE said:

“Food and drink manufacturers want to see the smoothest possible operation for consumers, for industry, and for delivering for the environment. In Northern Ireland we have seen how DRS has developed in the Republic of Ireland and we have been working with government and industry colleagues on the development of a similar scheme for the UK. We look forward to working with the Deposit Management Organisation as the delivery of the scheme progresses.”

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*The appointment of UK DMO as the scheme administrator in Scotland is subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament. the draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland (Amendment Regulations) 2025 and draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland (Designation of Scheme Administrator) Order 2025 have now been laid in the Scottish Parliament and will be voted on in due course.

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www.ukdmo.co.uk