Vending

UK deposit return scheme just a year away

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October 2, 2026

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Circular economy nonprofit Reloop is urging support for the U.K.'s planned deposit return programs as the country marks one year until their scheduled Oct. 1, 2027 launch.

Consumers will pay a refundable deposit on eligible drinks containers and reclaim it by returning the empties to designated collection points. In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the programs will cover single-use plastic bottles and aluminum and steel cans ranging from 150 milliliters to 3 liters, according to the House of Commons Library.

Reloop CEO Clarissa Morawski said in an email interview that deposit return programs are essential to reaching 90% collection rates for drinks packaging. The organization estimates U.K. consumers purchase 31 billion single-use drink containers annually, including 12 billion plastic bottles and 14 billion cans. Morawski said the programs could reduce litter in streets, parks and beaches while keeping valuable materials in circulation.

Results from Ireland offer a comparison. Its program administrator, Re-turn, reported consumers returned more than 1.4 billion containers in 2025. It estimated that recycling rates for eligible containers had risen from 49% before the program to more than 90%, with about 76% captured through deposit returns and the remainder collected through mixed recycling. Re-turn also reported expanding its reverse vending machine network, including adding 11 bulk-feed units in 2025.