CARDIFF — Concerns are mounting over the Welsh Government’s plans for a separate Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), with opposition politicians, retailers and members of the public questioning how the system will work in practice — particularly for goods bought online from England and the added cost facing struggling households.
The debate intensified after wine merchants warned that Wales’ decision to include glass bottles in the scheme could create major logistical and financial problems for suppliers trading across the UK.
Under current plans, Wales intends to include glass bottles alongside aluminium cans and plastic drinks containers when the UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme launches in October 2027. England and Northern Ireland, however, are moving ahead with schemes that exclude glass.
The proposed system would add a refundable 20p deposit to eligible drinks containers, including cans and bottles. Customers would pay the extra charge at the checkout and only receive the money back after returning the empty container to a collection point or reverse vending machine.
Critics say that while the deposit is technically refundable, many families living week-to-week may struggle with the upfront cost.
For example, a family buying:
- 12 cans of soft drink would pay an extra £2.40 in deposits
- A 24-pack would add £4.80 to the shopping bill
- Several bottles of soft drinks, water, milkshakes or alcohol could increase weekly spending further before any refunds are claimed
Campaigners and some consumers argue that households already facing rising food, energy and housing costs may not always have the spare cash available to wait for deposits to be returned later.
There are also concerns that people without transport, elderly residents, disabled shoppers or those living far from major supermarkets may find it difficult to regularly return containers and reclaim the money.
Commenting on the issue, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, Andrew RT Davies, said:
“For a Deposit Return Scheme to function effectively, the same rules must apply UK-wide.
We are one nation – the economies of the different parts of Britain are all intertwined.
Doing things differently in Wales for the sake of it will hurt living standards and cost Welsh jobs.”
Questions have also been raised over how the scheme will operate for consumers who regularly buy products online from English retailers.
While aluminium cans and plastic bottles are expected to use a UK-wide barcode system allowing returns anywhere in Britain, concerns remain over glass bottles purchased from outside Wales.
If English retailers do not charge a deposit on glass, bottles sold into Wales may not carry Welsh DRS barcodes, potentially preventing consumers from reclaiming deposits at Welsh return points.
The issue has drawn comparisons with historic local bottle return systems once common across South Wales.
Residents have pointed to former drinks companies such as Corona, formerly based in Porth in the Rhondda, and the former Aberdare Co-operative creamery in Trecynon, where glass bottles were collected directly from customers for washing and reuse. In 1939, the C.W.S. opened a Creamery employing 150 men.
However, even those smaller local schemes faced difficulties with missing or damaged bottles.
Critics argue that scaling such systems to modern online shopping and cross-border supply chains presents a far greater challenge.
Concerns have also been raised by smaller retailers operating from compact high street premises, particularly convenience stores with limited storage space.
Under the scheme, larger supermarkets are expected to install Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), allowing customers to return containers in exchange for refunds. Smaller shops may instead have to operate manual return systems, storing empty containers on site until collection.
Retailers warn this could prove difficult for stores already struggling with limited storage areas, rear access problems and pavement obstructions caused by commercial waste bins.
Some businesses may ultimately seek exemptions on health and safety grounds if storing returned containers creates risks for staff, customers or pedestrians.
Supporters of the Welsh Government’s approach argue that including glass is essential if Wales is to maintain high recycling rates and move towards greater reuse of containers.
The Welsh Government has proposed a transition period before full glass deposit charges are introduced, allowing businesses additional time to adapt to the system.
However, with concerns continuing from retailers, distributors and opposition politicians, debate over the practical operation of Wales’ Deposit Return Scheme is expected to intensify in the run-up to its planned launch.
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