Exchange For Change, the industry-led organisation delivering the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) across the UK, has announced the creation of a new UK recycling infrastructure that will support the delivery of the Deposit Return Scheme from October 2027.
The Deposit Return Scheme will see a 20p deposit applied to all single use PET plastic, aluminium, and steel drinks containers between 3L and 150ml. Consumers will get their deposit back when they take their drink containers to a return point.
Following an extensive tender process, Newry’s Re-Gen will join four waste management and recycling providers also appointed to the scheme to provide logistics and processing activities across the UK. The approach is designed to ensure maximum resilience across the system and to allow for infrastructure to be scaled in future. Re-Gen will be responsible for collecting returned bottles and cans from return points in Northern Ireland and processing them so that the material can be recycled into new drinks containers. It is estimated that every year, more than 6.5 billion cans and bottles in the UK end up as waste, rather than being recycled, whereas the average return rate in European countries with a DRS is 90 per cent.
The appointed companies and the regions they will cover are:
- Re-Gen – Northern Ireland
- Suez – the North-West, West-Central and South West regions of England
- CIRQLR – the North East, East Central, South and South East regions of England
- Re.Group – Scotland, working in partnership with Hargreaves Services
- Bywaters – London
The agreements will unlock millions of pounds of investment in the UK’s recycling infrastructure and is expected to create around 700 new jobs. Three dedicated DRS processing facilities in Scotland, Scunthorpe and Guildford, two dedicated DRS processing lines in Isle of Dogs and Newry, and one shared-use plastics recycling facility in Avonmouth, will be operational from October 2027. Expansion will follow with the creation of three new purpose-built processing facilities in Ely in Cambridgeshire, Knowsley in Cheshire, and Avonmouth, which will be operational from October 2030. Around 400 new recycling vehicles are also expected to be mobilised facilitate the collection of DRS materials from every corner of the UK.
Russell Davies, Exchange for Change Chief Executive, said: “The Deposit Return Scheme will transform how the UK recycles. This is not only about preventing waste from polluting our towns, countryside, rivers and beaches, but also about investing for the long-term in new environmental infrastructure, jobs and opportunities across the UK. Confirming our logistics and processing partners is another significant milestone in our preparations for the scheme going live from October 2027, and it is exciting to see investment in assets and facilities moving ahead, which will also generate hundreds of jobs across the UK. Together the five waste management companies will create a resilient and scalable collections network that will ensure efficient collection and processing of DRS materials. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver this crucial element of the deposit return scheme when it goes live in October 2027.”
Re-Gen CEO Joseph Doherty said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Exchange for Change as Northern Ireland’s collection and processing partner for the Deposit Return Scheme. This represents a major milestone for Re-Gen and an important step in creating the infrastructure required to deliver a successful DRS across the region. We look forward to working closely with retailers, Exchange For Change and stakeholders across the supply chain to ensure the Deposit Return Scheme delivers lasting environmental and economic benefits for Northern Ireland.”