Deposit Return Scheme: a guide for retailers
From 1 October 2027 a 20p deposit goes on drinks in plastic bottles and cans, and most shops that sell them will have to take the empties back. Here is who has to run a return point, what it pays, and what it means for your shop floor.
- Starts 1 October 2027
- England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Wales runs its own scheme
- 20pdeposit on every in-scope bottle and can
- 1 Oct 2027launch date in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- 100m²urban shops under this size are automatically exempt from hosting a return point
- £6,000grant per site for small independents installing a reverse vending machine
What is the Deposit Return Scheme?
The Deposit Return Scheme, or DRS, adds a 20p deposit to drinks sold in single-use plastic bottles and metal cans from 150ml up to 3 litres. The customer pays it at the till and gets it back when they return the empty container to any return point, whether or not they bought it there.
The scheme is run by Exchange for Change, the not-for-profit body appointed to deliver it across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales is running a separate scheme that starts on the same day and includes glass, although glass carries no deposit until a transition period ends in October 2031.
For a shop, it changes three things: the price of every drink in scope, what happens at the till, and where on the shop floor or in the stockroom you put a return point and the empties that come with it.
Do you have to run a return point?
Every retailer selling in-scope drinks to take away has to charge the deposit. Whether you also have to take containers back depends on what kind of business you are and how big the shop is.
You will need a return point if all of these apply
- You are a grocery retailer: a supermarket, convenience store or newsagent selling drinks to take away
- You sell drinks in single-use plastic bottles or cans between 150ml and 3 litres
- Your shop is not automatically exempt, which only covers urban shops under 100 square metres
- You have not been granted an exemption for size, for being close to another return point, or for safety and layout
Who is not required
Pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and food-to-go outlets do not have to host a return point, and neither do online-only retailers. They still charge the deposit on drinks taken off the premises.
Staff take containers over the counter and refund the deposit through the till.
- Low set-up cost and no machine to buy
- Suits smaller shops and lower volumes
- Takes staff time for every return
- Needs clean, secure space to store empties until they are collected
Customers feed containers into a machine that issues a refund voucher.
- Paid 5p per container for the first 225,000 a year, then 1.3p
- Takes the handling away from your staff
- The machine stores the containers inside
- Needs floor space in a sensible spot, usually near the entrance or the drinks aisle
- Grants of £6,000 per site for qualifying small independents
What to do before October 2027
Registration is due to open in the second half of 2026, with the exact date still to be confirmed.
-
Work out where you stand
Measure your sales floor and check whether you count as urban or rural. That tells you whether you are exempt, can apply for an exemption, or need a return point.
-
Choose manual or machine
Estimate how many containers you will get back each week, then weigh the handling fee against the space and staff time.
-
Find the space
A return point needs room for the customer, the machine or counter, and the empties. Decide what moves to make way for it.
-
Talk to your till supplier
The till has to add 20p to every in-scope drink and keep track of the deposits you refund.
How it affects different shops
The rules are the same across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. What changes is how much room you have to work with.
Return point likelyConvenience stores
Unless you are an urban shop under 100 square metres, you will need a return point or an exemption. Most will start with a manual point at or near the counter, which means finding stockroom space for bagged empties.
Gondola bays
Return point expectedSupermarkets
Larger stores are expected to host a return point and most will use machines. The question is where it goes: lobby, car park or drinks aisle, and what shelving comes out to fit it.
Shop shelving
Often exemptNewsagents and small urban shops
Urban shops under 100 square metres are automatically exempt from taking containers back. You still charge 20p on every in-scope drink, so shelf prices and the till both have to be ready.
Electronic shelf labels
No return point neededPubs, cafes and food to go
You are not required to take containers back from the public. You have already paid the deposit to your supplier though, so collecting the empties used on site is how you get it back.
Lockable bin stores
Where shelving, labels and layout come in
A return point is a new fixture, and in most shops something has to move to make room for it. That makes DRS a layout job as much as a compliance one. A bay of shelving near the entrance, the end of a gondola run or a corner of the stockroom are the usual candidates.
A return point also brings people into the shop. Everyone bringing bottles back walks past your shelves, so what sits beside it is worth some thought.
Then there is price. The deposit changes what the customer pays on every drink in scope on the same day. With paper labels that is a full re-ticket of the drinks aisle. With electronic shelf labels it is a price file update.
-
Shop floorGondola bays
Free-standing bays you can shorten, move or re-plan to open up space for a return point.
See the range -
PricingElectronic shelf labels
Change the price on every drink in scope from the back office, on the day the deposit starts.
See the range -
Back of houseLockable bin stores
Secure stores with lockable doors, for bagged containers waiting for collection. Every one of those empties is worth 20p, so they are worth locking up.
See the range
We supply, we do not install. We will help you re-plan the bays and price what you need. Fitting is carried out by your own shopfitter or staff.
Common questions
When does the Deposit Return Scheme start?
It goes live on 1 October 2027 in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales starts its own scheme on the same day.
How much is the deposit?
A flat 20p on every in-scope container, whatever its size. In-scope containers are single-use plastic bottles and metal cans from 150ml up to 3 litres.
Is my shop exempt from running a return point?
Urban shops with under 100 square metres of retail space are automatically exempt. Urban shops of 100 to 199 square metres, and rural shops under 200 square metres, can apply for an exemption on size. You can also apply if a return point close by agrees to take containers for you, or if the layout of your shop makes it unsafe or impractical.
What will I be paid for taking containers back?
Exchange for Change pays a return handling fee. It is 3p per container at a manual return point. At a reverse vending machine it is 5p per container for the first 225,000 containers a year, then 1.3p.
Is there help with the cost of a reverse vending machine?
A £60m grant fund is aimed at up to 10,000 small independent retailers. It pays £6,000 per site, in three yearly payments of £2,000. The detailed eligibility rules had not been published when this page was last reviewed.
Do pubs and cafes have to take bottles back?
No. Hospitality and food-to-go businesses are not required to host a return point, and neither are online-only retailers. They still charge the deposit on drinks taken off the premises.
This page is a plain English summary, not legal advice. For your own shop, check the official sources: Exchange for Change, Exchange for Change FAQs. Last reviewed October 2026
