The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) regulations have officially passed through the House of Commons following a debate last night (21 January).
The House of Commons voted 352 to 75, majority 277, in favour of the proposal which paves the way for the scheme to be introduced in England and Northern Ireland from 1 October 2027.
DRS will involve consumers being charged a sum of money as a deposit up-front when they buy a single-use container. This can then be redeemed when the empty container is returned to a designated return point; this might be to a shop or to a reverse vending machine.
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David Gudgeon, head of external affairs at Reconomy brand, Reconomy Connect said: “With the world consuming resources faster than they can be replenished, this is a great step forwards for the circular economy and keeping precious, finite materials in circulation. This scheme should significantly cut down littering, plastic pollution and our carbon footprint. It is predicted to create 21,000 jobs and generate £21bn investment in our economy. Indeed, in Ireland, where the DRS scheme has been in effect since February 2024, over 630 million containers were returned in the first eight months.”
Director of waste and resources at Defra, Emma Bourne, reacted to the news on LinkedIn: “DRS is on track and will go live on October 2027. A very big day, delivered by a brilliant team.”
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