Exchange For Change has announced the creation of a new UK recycling infrastructure that will support the delivery of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) from October 2027.
Following an extensive tender process, five waste management and recycling providers have been appointed to provide logistics and processing activities across the UK.
Exchange For Change, the industry-led organisation delivering the DRS across the UK, says this approach is designed to ensure ‘maximum resilience’ across the system and will also allow for infrastructure to be scaled in future.
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
- Re.Group – Scotland, working in partnership with Hargreaves Services plc
- Bywaters – London
- Re-Gen – Northern Ireland
Exchange For Change’s logistics and processing partners will be responsible for collecting the returned bottles and cans from return points and processing them so that the material can be recycled into new drink containers.
It’s estimated that every year, more than 6.5 billion cans and bottles in the UK end up as waste rather than being recycled, whereas the average return rate in European countries with a DRS is 90%.
The Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) says the agreements will ‘unlock millions of pounds of investment’ in the UK’s recycling infrastructure and are expected to create around 700 new jobs.
Commenting on the announcement, Russell Davies, Exchange for Change Chief Executive, said the DRS will transform how the UK recycles.
“This is not only about preventing waste from polluting our towns, countryside, rivers and beaches, but also about investing for the long-term in new environmental infrastructure, jobs and opportunities across the UK,” Davies continued.
“Together the five waste management companies will create a resilient and scalable collections network that will ensure efficient collection and processing of DRS materials.”
The infrastructure includes three dedicated DRS processing facilities in Scotland, Scunthorpe and Guildford, two dedicated DRS processing lines in Isle of Dogs and Newry, and one shared-use plastics recycling facility in Avonmouth, which will be operational from October 2027.
As part of further expansion, the companies will create 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 facilitate the collection of DRS materials from around the UK.
John Scanlon, Executive Vice President in the UK for SUEZ, called the DRS a ‘key delivery mechanism’ for a more resource-efficient UK economy.
“I’m delighted Exchange For Change has entrusted SUEZ to deliver this groundbreaking service in four of its ten regions and look forward to working together to drive circularity, support domestic resource security and promote regional prosperity through the creation of local, green collar jobs,” Scanlon said.
