Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 

Consultation opened on 24 March 2021. Closing date 04 June 2021 at 23:59. 

The Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) is seeking views on plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This consultation will run in tandem with the consultation on proposals to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging in the UK. 

Following strong support from the first consultation in 2019 Northern Ireland, England and Wales committed to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers subject to further consultation.

This second consultation focuses on specific policy proposals for its introduction, including the scope of materials, scheme governance, return points, and collection targets. The proposals set out in this consultation work together to create a scheme that incentivises consumers to change their behaviour, leading to higher recycling rates and lower levels of littering. 

This consultation is held on the Defra website: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/consultation-on-introducing-a-drs/