Senedd votes through deposit return scheme with glass bottles included
Wales will introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers from October 2027 after the Senedd voted in favour of the regulations on Tuesday, making Wales the only UK nation to include glass bottles in its scheme.
The scheme works by adding a small deposit to the price of drinks in eligible containers at the point of purchase.
Shoppers get the deposit back when they return the empty container to a designated return point — such as a reverse vending machine in a supermarket or shop. The containers are then collected, recycled or reused.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change Huw Irranca-Davies, who brought the regulations before the Senedd, said: “This is a significant moment for Wales. International evidence shows a Deposit Return Scheme can tackle litter, improve on the go recycling and further reduce waste. This will keep valuable materials in circulation for longer — building on the world-leading recycling system Wales has already developed.”
Mr Irranca-Davies told the Senedd that waste crime is currently costing the Welsh economy between £20.6 million and £46.7 million every year, and that a key aim of the scheme is to reduce the opportunities for the misclassification and illegal disposal of waste.
Wales already recycles at a rate of 68.4 per cent — second in the world. The deposit return scheme is intended to go further by capturing materials that are consumed on the go and currently enter the litter stream rather than the recycling system.
The inclusion of glass bottles sets the Welsh scheme apart from England’s, which launched without glass. Mr Irranca-Davies told the Senedd the Welsh Government’s preference had always been for an aligned UK-wide scope, but that the previous UK Conservative Government “diverged away from that scope.” The Welsh regulations include a four-year transition period for single-use glass bottles, giving businesses time to adapt labelling, production lines and data systems.
A Deposit Management Organisation will be appointed to run the scheme. The Welsh Government said it will now work with industry, local authorities and delivery partners on detailed operational arrangements ahead of the October 2027 launch.
The scheme was broadly backed across the chamber, though concerns were raised about the impact on smaller businesses. Joel James MS (Conservative, South Wales East) pressed the Welsh Government on the cost implications for microbrewers, who already operate on tight margins, warning that labelling requirements and production line changes could make the scheme financially difficult for smaller producers. He also asked for clarity on how the Welsh scheme would interact with the UK-wide extended producer responsibility system, and whether Welsh councils would miss out on funding that English authorities continue to receive for kerbside glass collection.
Carolyn Thomas MS (Labour, North Wales) said she had been initially sceptical of the scheme given that kerbside recycling across north Wales already works well. She told the Senedd she had been convinced by evidence of litter in town centres, lanes and on beaches. “I think, to be progressive now and to make that step forward, we need to pass this Bill and move on with it,” Ms Thomas said.
The Welsh Government said reusable drinks containers could be included in the scheme alongside single-use deposit items as part of a phased approach, helping to support a move away from single-use packaging altogether.
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