Welsh Government to leave UK Joint Deposit Return Scheme to create its own

The Welsh Government has announced its withdrawal from the UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and plans to create a separate Welsh Scheme.

It is not clear when the Wales-only scheme would come into force, but it is expected to be later than the UK DRS - officials say the law required for its introduction will not be introduced until the next Senedd term which starts in 2026 and ends in 2030.

The Welsh Government’s decision follows unsuccessful attempts by Welsh Labour ministers to secure agreement from the UK government to include glass in Wales’s version of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

The full written statement from the Welsh Government is available here: https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-development-deposit-return-scheme-wales