Wales’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) could increase the price of glass-bottled drinks in Wales by 50p, Welsh drink producers claim.
In a letter to the Welsh Government, 12 small and medium-sized Welsh household drinks brands warn the scheme could mean ‘higher prices for Welsh shoppers as well as fewer glass products on Welsh shelves’.
The businesses also warn that Wales’s DRS could make their businesses unviable and cut jobs.
They also cite industry analysis that suggests including glass as an in-scope material from day one of the scheme could add up to 50p to every single glass-bottled drink sold in Wales.
A UK-wide DRS is set to go live across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in October 2027, covering single-use PET plastic, steel and aluminium drinks containers between 150ml and 3 litres.
The Welsh Government plans to include glass containers in its scheme, as well as plastic, steel, and aluminium. However, there will be a four-year transition period during which no deposit is charged on glass containers to manage interoperability with the other UK schemes.
The decision to include glass has been met with fierce criticism from the glass producers and the drinks industry. While Welsh environmental and charitable organisations have consistently called for Wales’s DRS to include glass.
The letter from Welsh business leaders, which was organised by the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA), urges the government to ‘proceed with caution’ to avoid unintended consequences for consumers, small businesses and the wider UK scheme.
Signatories include family-run food and drink producer Radnor Hills, the Welsh mountains still water brand Brecon Carreg, and the largest independent brewery in Wales, Brains Brewery in Cardiff.
The letter, addressed to the Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Sustainability and Rural Resilience, Llŷr Gruffydd MS, calls on him to ‘urgently appoint’ Exchange for Change as the Welsh DRS administrator.
Earlier this year, the Welsh Government rejected Exchange for Change’s application to become its DRS administrator and reopened applications with a new deadline of 2 June 2026.
According to multiple reports, Exchange for Change, the DMO for the DRSs in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, was the only organisation to have submitted an application.
Exchange for Change said it was ‘disappointed’ by the decision, and confirmed it is considering appealing and intended to reapply.