FDF responds to Welsh DRS regulations passing

David Harries, Chief Executive, FDF Cymru, said:

“Last night the Senedd passed the Wales Deposit Return Scheme regulations, marking a major milestone for drinks producers in setting up a deposit return scheme throughout the UK, ensuring drinks containers can be recycled through a truly circular system. We were clear in our engagement that if regulations did not pass on DRS, material risked being absorbed into Extended Producer Responsibility instead of sitting under DRS. This would create major regulatory complexity, as the two systems operate differently on fees, timelines and scope.

"To deliver on a truly circular economy, the scheme should be interoperable across all four nations, creating a consistent UK‑wide approach that makes compliance simpler for businesses and consumers.

"We’re urging the Welsh government to appoint a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) for Wales as swiftly as possible, ensuring the scheme can go live across all four nations of the UK in October 2027.

"We look forward to working with the next Welsh Government to find a pragmatic way forward on the inclusion of single use glass, which will currently be in scope in the Welsh DRS, at odds with the rest of the UK. Industry must be empowered to work to find a solution, working as a supply chain to enable a stable, domestic circular economy.”