Wales has confirmed it will include glass as an in-scope material in its deposit return scheme at launch but no deposit will be charged on any glass containers.
The Welsh Government has confirmed plans to take a ‘phased approach’ on introducing glass and reuse into its deposit return scheme (DRS).
Wales’s DRS will include glass as an in-scope material when it launches alongside the other UK nations’s schemes in October 2027. However, initially no deposit will be charged on glass containers as a transitional measure to manage interoperability with the other UK schemes.
The schemes in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland cover PET plastic, steel, and aluminium drinks containers, but exclude glass.
The Welsh Government said a phased approach would avoid the ‘significant risks and impacts’ of DRSs being implemented within the other nations but not in Wales.
Last year, Wales withdrew from developing an aligned DRS across the UK. In a written statement, Welsh Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies explained that Wales could not proceed with a DRS aligned across the UK due to issues caused by the UK Internal Market (UKIM) Act.
Circular Online learned that the Welsh Government withdrew due to time constraints that prevented the UK Government from considering a request for an exclusion from the UKIM Act.
Scotland’s DRS collapsed in 2023 after the then Conservative Government declined a request for full exclusion from the UKIM Act, which meant it could not include glass in its scheme.
In a written statement, the Deputy First Minister confirmed that the Welsh Government has now formally proposed an exclusion for the DRS in Wales to the UKIM Act.
He continued that the Welsh Government have been clear that if an exclusion is not granted, then it will scrap its DRS plans.
Irranca-Davies said the decision to take a ‘phased approach’ to glass and reuse followed engagement with businesses, recycling and reuse organisations, the Welsh Local Government Association, and environmental organisations.
The Deputy First Minister continued that Wales has now made adaptations to the scheme to ensure interoperability across the UK following consultation feedback.
Circular Online understands a detailed timeline for introducing a deposit on glass, as well as reuse targets, will be informed by consultation feedback and further engagement with industry.
The UK Government are currently engaging with stakeholders to gather evidence on what impact an exclusion could have on the UK internal market.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told Circular Online: “We have received the Welsh Government’s proposal for a UKIM Act exclusion for their DRS, and now all parties to the Resources and Waste Common Framework are carefully considering this.”
The Welsh Government also announced it has begun the process to appoint a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) to run its scheme. Applications opened on 28 November, with the deadline for applications being Friday, 23 January 2026.
Subject to the DRS Regulations being approved by the Senedd, the successful applicant can then be appointed by the Welsh Ministers from March 2026.
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