Defra has today announced that it will delay the start of the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until October 2027 in a decision that the ESA described as “sensible and pragmatic.”

The scheme was originally scheduled to come into force in October 2025, but a lack of detailed policy progress presented cause for concern among industry that implementation would be hampered by a lack of time to install new systems and infrastructure.

The new implementation timeline is split into three phases, with the final phase focused on establishing national collection infrastructure, retailer preparations for return point installations and consumer engagement campaigns between 2026 and 2027.  

Responding to the announcement, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, Jacob Hayler, said: “Coordinating deposit return schemes for drinks containers across the four administrations of the UK, and delaying implementation until 2027, is a sensible and pragmatic approach to implementing this major policy and infrastructure change. This should help ensure that all stakeholders have adequate time to prepare for a successful roll-out and was a somewhat inevitable outcome given the lack of policy progress on these reforms in recent years. 

As today’s joint announcement reiterates, DRS is just one component of a wider set of recycling policy reforms and must be carefully designed and implemented so that it remains complementary to EPR and revised kerbside collection services – ensuring that each of the devolved administrations is using the right tool for the right job in pursuit of higher recycling targets.”