The organisation running the United Kingdom’s Deposit Return Scheme has confirmed the five waste management companies that will collect and process bottles and cans when the scheme goes live in October 2027 — a significant milestone for the country’s biggest recycling reform in a generation.
Exchange for Change, the industry-led Deposit Management Organisation responsible for the scheme, announced the appointments following an extensive tender process. The five companies will run logistics and processing across ten regions of the UK, a structure the organisation says is designed for resilience and can be scaled up in the future.
Five companies, ten regions
The appointed companies and the regions they will cover are:
- SUEZ — the North-East, North-West, West-Central and South West regions of England
- CIRQLR — the East Central, South and South East regions of England
- Bywaters — London
- Re.Group — Scotland, working in partnership with Hargreaves Services plc
- Re-Gen — Northern Ireland
The contractors will collect drinks containers from DRS return points and then count, sort and process the material so it can be recycled into new drinks containers. The agreements are expected to unlock millions of pounds of investment in the UK’s recycling infrastructure and create around 700 new jobs.
New recycling infrastructure across the UK
Three dedicated DRS processing facilities — in Scotland, Scunthorpe and Guildford — together with two dedicated DRS processing lines on the Isle of Dogs and in Newry, and a shared-use plastics recycling facility in Avonmouth, are due to be operational when the scheme launches in October 2027.
Expansion will follow with three new purpose-built processing facilities in Ely in Cambridgeshire, Knowsley in Merseyside and Avonmouth, which will be operational from October 2030. Around 400 new recycling vehicles are also expected to be mobilised to collect DRS materials from every corner of the UK.
Russell Davies, Chief Executive of Exchange for Change, said: “Confirming our logistics and processing partners is another significant milestone in our preparations for the scheme going live from October 2027.”
He added that the five companies together will create a resilient and scalable collections network, and noted that investment in new assets and facilities is already moving ahead.
How the deposit will work
From October 2027, the Deposit Return Scheme will place a 20p deposit on all single-use PET plastic, aluminium and steel drinks containers between 150ml and three litres. Consumers will get their deposit back when they return eligible containers to a return point, with many retailers expected to act as return points.
The deposit model is designed to cut litter and raise recycling rates. Similar schemes already operate in a number of European countries — a scheme in the Republic of Ireland went live in February 2024.
Retailers prepare for their role
Independent retailers are watching preparations closely, as small shops will handle a large share of returns. The Federation of Independent Retailers said it is in regular contact with Exchange for Change and is pressing for a system that is as straightforward as possible for independent retailers, particularly small shops, whose involvement it describes as vital to the scheme’s success.
The announcement follows the launch of the scheme’s registration portal, which lets retailers and producers register their interest ahead of the 2027 launch.
FAKTA
- 20p deposit on single-use PET plastic, aluminium and steel drinks containers (150ml to 3 litres) from October 2027
- Five waste firms — SUEZ, CIRQLR, Bywaters, Re.Group and Re-Gen — across ten UK regions
- Around 700 new jobs expected from the logistics and processing contracts
- ~400 new recycling vehicles to collect DRS materials across the UK
- Processing network: three dedicated facilities, two dedicated lines and one shared-use facility at launch; three more purpose-built facilities by October 2030
- Refund model: consumers get the deposit back at return points, with many retailers taking part
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