The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has raised concerns about the decision by the Welsh Government to create its own Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) instead of being part of the UK-wide scheme that is due to be introduced by October 2027.
Throughout the process of developing a DRS, there have been several disagreements between politicians and industry figures across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland over the structure of the scheme and whether glass should be included.
In a written statement published yesterday, Deputy First Minister of Wales, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “We have been working to initiate a joint process to appoint the Deposit Management Organisation for our respective schemes later this month. However, in the time available it has not been possible to address the issues to the operation of devolution caused by the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, inherited by the UK Government from the previous administration. This unfortunately means that we are not able to proceed with the joint process or notify the WTO in relation to the scheme at this point.
“As a Government, we remain committed to bringing forward a DRS which will deliver for Wales by supporting our ongoing transition to a circular economy. We will therefore continue our active engagement to develop a scheme that supports the transition to reuse for all drinks containers, including those made from glass.”
The announcement from the Welsh Government means that there will now likely be two separate schemes set up in the UK, working on different timelines and management systems. Under the Welsh scheme, there will be a greater focus on the reuse of materials.
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We are extremely concerned that the Welsh Government is doubling down on insisting on a different approach to a DRS than the rest of the UK. A unified approach across the UK is best for consumers, retailers and producers, and has the best chance of achieving meaningful change in recycling rates. The Welsh Government’s separate approach will be confusing for everyone involved and disruptive to the delivery of DRS across the rest of UK.”
ACS noted that the Welsh Government have not set out its intended timescales for the introduction of its own DRS, meaning that it is possible that the rest of the UK will have a scheme in place before Wales.
Early results from a DRS scheme in Ireland have been positive, with over half a billion containers returned since its launch in February.
NAM Implications:
- Begging the question ‘why?’
- As each party digs in deeper, so the difficulty in achieving uniformity increases.
- Meanwhile, retailers and suppliers at local level can but follow local process…
- …and add the cost to their P&L.
