Industry leaders offer positive reaction to newly appointed Deposit Management Organisation to manage UK’s Deposit Return Scheme; leaders come from Food and Drink Federation, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, WRAP

May 7, 2025 (Packaging News) –

Industry voices have been broadly supportive of the newly appointed Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) to manage the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). 

According to the government, the DMO is a business-led, not-for-profit organisation, responsible for designing and operating the systems that make the scheme work – from producer registration to logistics, finance, fraud prevention and public communications. It was launched yesterday.

Jim Bligh , director of corporate affairs and packaging, The Food and Drink Federation , welcomed the move and said that such schemes have a proven track record to “reduce litter, increase the amount of recycled content in drinks containers, and improve recycling rates”.

Bligh added: “We’re disappointed that Wales will not be part of the scheme from the outset. Securing involvement from all four nations will help the DRS reach its full potential, creating an effective scheme for consumers, government and business. We’re committed to working with all the UK’s governments to help make this a reality.”

Elise Seibold , chief operating officer at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said that the appointment was “another significant step towards a circular economy for drinks containers”.

“Through cross industry collaboration, we show our commitment to delivering a scheme that works for everyone – drinks producers, consumers and retailers,” said Seibold. “As well as long term benefits such as reduced litter and increased recycling rates, an October 2027 DRS is also a critical step for businesses, and the UK , to achieve net zero. Together we can create a scheme that reduces waste, fosters sustainable habits and sets a global standard for environmental leadership.”

Claire Shrewsbury , director insights and innovation WRAP, added: “WRAP supports a well-designed DRS as part of the UK’s recycling. It is critical the DMO convenes the right parties to deliver an effective and engaging DRS system that people will want to use. A significant behaviour change campaign based on the insights around existing recycling engagement and from other countries must support its introduction, to ensure people are aware of, and clear how to use this form of recycling alongside existing collections. We are happy to play our part in supporting the introduction of DRS to citizens in this way.”

The DRS is set to go live in October 2027 – from that date, when people buy drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and 3 litres, they will pay a small deposit – which they will get back in full when they return the empty container for recycling.

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