The Welsh Government laid the Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (Wales) Regulations 2026 (the Regulations) on the 12 February 2026, which put in place the legislative framework for the recycling and reuse of drinks containers. The Senedd will debate the Regulations on 24 March 2026.
If passed the Regulations will establish a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for in-scope drinks containers, including single-use closed bottles and cans made from plastic, steel, glass or aluminium, containing between 150ml to 3 litres of liquid and supplied for consumption in Wales.
This would mean that from 1 October 2027, anyone supplied with a drink in these types of containers must pay a (refundable) deposit to the person who supplies the drink container. The deposit is refunded when the container is returned to a designated ‘return point’.
The purpose of the Regulations is to:
…support the transition to a circular, zero waste and net zero carbon Wales. In doing so it will build on Wales’ recycling record by further increasing the quantity and quality of recycling of in-scope materials, reduce littering and fly-tipping, and importantly, phase in the reuse of drinks containers.
In summary, the Regulations will:
- mostly come into force on 1 October 2027, which is the date from which the DRS would be operational, and align with the implementation of schemes across the UK to support interoperability;
- provide for the appointment of a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), a non-profit private sector body which would operate the scheme in Wales. These regulations would come into force immediately. The UK, Northern Irish and Scottish governments have already appointed a scheme operator;
- phase in requirements for glass containers, and reuse (more on these below); and
- provide for civil sanctions where a scheme drinks producer, supplier, retailer or the DMO has contravened any requirement of the Regulations.
Full information can be found in the Explanatory Memorandum.
What about glass?
Glass is included in the Regulations, after much debate and agreement on an exclusion from the UK Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA). Glass is not currently included in DRSs in Scotland, Northern Ireland or England.
The Regulations provide a four-year transition period, from 1 October 2027 to 30 September 2031, for in-scope glass drinks containers. During this time, they would have a zero pence deposit rate and be exempt from labelling requirements, but can still be collected at return points. The Welsh Government says this would give producers and retailers time to adapt, and “avoid unintended consequences” as it could bring “potential risks of fraud and supply chain disruption”.
The Welsh Government says there has been “extensive engagement with industry”, on inclusion of glass, however glass industry representatives have written to Senedd Committees to highlight concerns.
What about reuse?
With glass, the most widely used material for reuse, included, the Regulations “commence a clear pathway towards the roll out of reuse”, by establishing it as a core element of a Welsh DRS. Reuse means that containers collected are not only crushed and recycled, but also washed and reused.
Reuse would be phased in, and regulations relating to reuse would commence on 1 October 2031 (when glass is fully included). From this date, the DMO would be responsible for reuse arrangements and have a collection target of 5% for drinks containers capable of reuse. Including this target means that reuse would be considered as part of the infrastructure requirements.
The Regulations don’t make detailed provisions, including setting onward targets, regarding reuse. This is because reuse requirements have recently been consulted on, so need to be further developed and brought forward in subsequent regulations. As reuse policy is still in development, a UKIMA exclusion for this part of a Welsh DRS has not yet been agreed, but discussions are underway.
Next steps
The Senedd will debate the Regulations on 24 March, you can watch live, or afterwards, on SeneddTV.
Article by Lorna Scurlock, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
