One year to go until DRS: Our opportunity to change how the UK recycles

In one year’s time, the way millions of people across the UK buy, return and recycle drinks containers will change. October 2027 marks the introduction of a national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which will see a small deposit added to eligible drinks containers when they are bought, which customers get back when they return the empty container for recycling. 

For those of us who have worked towards the DRS for several years, the one-year countdown is an important moment to look ahead. DRS has the potential to deliver lasting change in how we value packaging, use resources and recycle in the UK. But no business can create a circular economy alone. It will require the right infrastructure and collaboration between government, producers, retailers, the scheme operator and, crucially, consumers. 

Closing the Out of Home recycling gap 

There is already strong public support for DRS. Research commissioned by Reloop, a circular economy organisation, found that 69% of the British public support its introduction. 

Our own research also points to a willingness to recycle, while highlighting some of the practical challenges consumers face when away from home. In a survey of 2,000 UK consumers, almost two-thirds told us they do not always recycle bottles and cans when out and about, with a lack of access to recycling bins and unclear labelling among the biggest barriers to them doing so.  

By creating a visible and convenient network of return points, DRS can make recycling empty bottles a more natural part of everyday life. We have seen what is possible elsewhere - in Ireland, where Danone supported the introduction of DRS, recycling rates for plastic bottles and drinks cans increased from 49% to more than 90%. It is a powerful example of what a well-designed scheme can achieve when returning packaging is simple and convenient. 

Getting ready for DRS 

Our focus at Danone is now on how we can help make DRS work well from day one. 

As a founding member of the Deposit Management Organisation, Exchange for Change, we are contributing directly to the design and delivery of the scheme, while working with retailers to prepare for launch. We have welcomed around 100 retailer contacts for practical support and live demonstrations of reverse vending machines, and helped pilot the technology at the Wimbledon Championships Qualifying Competition to understand how consumers interact with it in a real-world setting.  

These experiences reinforce something simple: successful policy ultimately has to work for people. 

The bigger picture for packaging 

DRS isn’t just about increasing collection rates. It can also help recover more high-quality material for use in new drinks packaging, supporting a more circular system and reducing the need for virgin materials. 

At Danone, our evian and Volvic bottles are already made using 100% recycled PET, excluding caps and labels. But product innovation alone cannot close the loop. DRS can provide the infrastructure needed to bring valuable materials back into the system and keep them in circulation. This supports our wider Danone Impact Journey ambition to drive the transition towards a more circular packaging system.  

The year ahead 

There is still much to do between now and the launch. Over the next 12 months, the focus must be on turning preparation into readiness and continuing to collaborate, test and learn to make DRS as straightforward as possible for consumers. 

But the opportunity is bigger than the launch itself. Done well, DRS can change how we value packaging at a national scale, keeping valuable materials in circulation and demonstrating what is possible when government, industry and consumers work together towards a more circular future.