The UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd (UK DMO) has been appointed operator of the new Deposit Return Schemes for single-use plastic and metal drinks containers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The company has been tasked by the three governments with delivering a Deposit Return Scheme to go live in October 2027. From that date, when people buy drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and 3 litres, they will pay a small deposit – which they will get back in full when they return the empty container for recycling.
The Federation of Wholesale Distributors and the Scottish Wholesale Association jointly said: “The wholesale sector welcomes the announcement of the appointment of the Deposit Return Scheme Deposit Management Organisation. This is a significant step forward in progressing a workable and effective DRS across the UK.
“We are pleased the wholesale sector is represented on the DMO Board, ensuring our voice and the interests of wholesalers operating across the UK, is heard at the highest level. Our engagement will be constructive and grounded in the operational knowledge and experience of our members.
“It is vital that the unique challenges faced by wholesale businesses, as both distributors, producers and as retailers are recognised and addressed in a practical and proportionate manner by the DMO. Our priority remains ensuring a DRS that is both environmentally effective and commercially workable for our sector.”
In a joint statement, the UK DMO Board said: “DRS is an opportunity to deliver a transformational step forward in the circular economy in the UK and the appointment of the DMO is a major milestone in that journey. We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge, but our aim is simple – to build a system that’s fair, efficient and easy to use. Our work is already underway, and we’ll be working closely with governments, businesses of all sizes, environmental groups and consumer bodies to move forward as quickly as possible.”
The DMO has been designated to deliver the Deposit Return Scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. While the English and Northern Irish system operates under separate legislation to the Scottish system, they will be operated by the same organisation.
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- The scheme will cover drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and 3 litres.
- The Deposit Return Scheme will launch in October 2027.
- Further updates and contact details will be published at www.ukdmo.co.uk
- The DMO’s responsibilities include setting up and operating the Deposit Return Scheme in line with regulations in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. This includes:
- Registering drinks producers and overseeing their compliance with scheme obligations.
- Managing the flow of deposits – including collection from consumers, reimbursement, and producer fees.
- Coordinating the return point network, including handling arrangements with retailers and operators.
- Ensuring effective collection, sorting and onward recycling of returned containers.
- Developing fraud prevention and anti-counterfeit measures, including approved labelling and barcoding.
- Collecting and reporting data to meet statutory requirements and support enforcement.
- Engaging with consumers, retailers, local authorities and devolved governments to support scheme delivery.
- Monitoring performance against statutory targets – including return rates – and reporting annually to Government.
