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Government Shares Plans to Implement DRS Ahead of 2027 Schedule

The new Labour government has announced an accelerated rollout of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), moving up the timeline from the originally proposed 2027 start date.

Initially scheduled for October 2025 before being delayed by the previous Conservative Government to October 2027 earlier this year, in April, the new labour government has announced that they intend to accelerate the implementation of the legislation.

Answering a question posed by the Liberal Democrats, Mary Creagh, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, announced the decision in a written response on the 31st of July.

She stated:

“This government is committed to creating a roadmap to a zero-waste economy – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs; our economy prospers; and nature thrives.

We are reviewing the suite of packaging reforms and are going to work with our devolved government counterparts, industry and other stakeholders to determine the next steps for the DRS. I would be happy to update the House in due course.”

Updates coming soon

Whilst the above statement from Mary Creagh does not confirm any timelines yet or details around in-scope materials, the update has been met positively by several industry members and federations.

Keeping an eye out for further news will be essential to enable businesses to prepare for the upcoming roll out.

Martin Trigg-Knight, Director of Compliance Services at Clarity commented the following:

“The Government’s commitment to a circular economy and the accelerated implementation of a Deposit Return Scheme in the UK is commendable and positive news for the environment, companies, and consumers.

The collaborative approach with all industry stakeholders is encouraging to see, and we hope that ambition is blended with pragmatism to ensure that the policy instrument that results is effective in supporting both producers, recycling aims, and the packaging industry that will utilise the materials collected. We look forward to further details on the updated implementation timeline and the materials to be included in the scheme.”

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