What the UK Deposit Return Scheme Means for North West Businesses
The UK’s deposit return scheme (DRS) is coming in October 2027. For businesses across St Helens, Warrington, Liverpool and the wider North West that sell drinks in plastic bottles, cans or glass, this means practical changes to how you manage containers and waste. Here’s what you need to know now.
What Is the Deposit Return Scheme?
The DRS will add a small deposit to drinks containers at the point of purchase. Consumers get that deposit back when they return the empty container to a designated return point — either a reverse vending machine or an over-the-counter return at a retailer. The scheme covers single-use plastic bottles between 150ml and 3 litres, steel and aluminium cans, and glass bottles in Scotland (the rest of the UK is yet to confirm glass).
Who Does This Affect?
Any business that sells drinks in in-scope containers will need to register as a producer, add the deposit to their prices, and (if they’re above the threshold for size) operate as a return point. Hospitality businesses, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers are all affected to varying degrees depending on their volume and type of sales.
What Should North West Businesses Do Now?
The scheme doesn’t start until October 2027, but the registration and planning work starts well before that. The most important steps are: understand whether your business is in scope, register with the relevant scheme administrator once registration opens, and plan for how returns will be handled at your premises if you’re required to accept them.
From a waste management perspective, the DRS will change the composition of the general waste stream for many businesses — fewer plastic bottles and cans in commercial waste collections means lower volumes but doesn’t eliminate the need for general and recycling collections.
North West Waste provide commercial waste management services across St Helens, Liverpool, Manchester and the wider North West. For a review of your current waste arrangements ahead of the DRS changes, call us on 01744 758 349.
