Internal markets dispute cleared up for Wales scheme
THE Welsh Government has been given the green light to include glass bottle returns as part of its own deposit return scheme (DRS).
The UK Government has permitted the Senedd an exemption to the Internal Markets Act which has allowed them to go ahead with a DRS that is different from the one that is set to be introduced across the remainder of the UK from October 2027.
A statement from the UK Government on the matter said: “The UK government believes in the benefit of UK-wide deposit return schemes (DRSs) which are interoperable, with a common launch date to keep things simple for both businesses and consumers.
“The UK government recognises the very high recycling rates in Wales and the Welsh Government’s inclusion of glass bottles in their DRS, but also the feedback from industry about the impacts of divergence within the UK internal market and the need to have time to adapt.
“The UK government has therefore offered an exclusion for single-use glass bottles in Wales, which will be implemented in legislation at the earliest opportunity.”
Under the Welsh scheme, glass containers will be included from day one of its DRS, but will only have a deposit charge added on them from 2031.
This marks a stark contrast to previous ruling regarding glass bottles for DRS as the Scottish Government previously fought to have the containers included in its own DRS plans. Ultimately, the then Conservative Westminster government made the decision to remove glass returns from the scheme, which prompted ScotGov to fall in line with the UK go-live date.
The announcement has been met with a mixed response from across the industry, with many arguing it will only lead to further confusion among consumers and additional costs for businesses.
James Lowman, chief executive at the Association for Convenience Stores, said: “We support the introduction of deposit return scheme across the UK but the decision to include glass containers in Wales will result in additional costs and operational burdens for local shops, and confusion for customers who will have no incentive to return glass containers to shops until 2031.
“Extended time periods to prepare and a taskforce for operational alignment are welcome, but it will still leave retailers footing the bill for investing in more expensive infrastructure to collect and store glass containers.”
Similarly, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has raised its own concerns around this move, claiming it could “add costs and create potential fraud risks, without clear environmental benefit”.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said: “We will continue to work with the Welsh Government to resolve these issues and explore more effective alternatives. In the meantime, it is vital that the Welsh Government appoints a Deposit Management Organisation as soon as possible to provide certainty for the industry.”
However, Travis Way, managing director at reverse vending machine manufacturer EcoVend, has welcomed the move from the Welsh Government and reckons it will help reduce litter across the country.
He said: “By supporting the safe and efficient return of glass alongside plastics and metals, the Welsh scheme has the opportunity to set a benchmark for how deposit return systems can work efficiently for businesses and be easy for consumers to use.
“Deposit return schemes are key to a circular economy, helping reduce litter and recover valuable materials. This confirmation is a major step for Wales in turning more materials into reusable resources and creating cleaner streets and public spaces.”Â
