A new scheme will see people paid to take their empty bottles and cans back to supermarkets – with “no receipt needed”
UK households will soon be rewarded for returning empty bottles and cans to supermarkets, with “no receipt needed”, in a fresh bid to curb waste.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has given the green light to a forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme for used drinks containers, aimed at halting the “stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our high streets, countryside, and oceans”.
Defra announced last month that the scheme will roll out across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from October 2027, offering financial incentives for returning used bottles and cans to designated collection points.
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These drop-off locations will be situated at major supermarkets nationwide, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, as well as local grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents selling beverages. The returned containers will then be recycled, and people will receive payment for their efforts.
Over 50 countries globally, such as Germany, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland, have already implemented similar schemes to boost recycling of single-use drink containers, and now the UK is set to follow suit.
In its Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025, published last December, Defra set out its waste reduction strategy, explaining: “Introduce the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers from October 2027. This will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3 litres made of polyethylene terephthalate plastic, steel, and aluminium,” reports the Express.
All single-use drinks containers that:
- are made wholly or mainly from aluminium or steel, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic
- have a capacity of between 150 millilitres and 3 litres
- are likely to be used only once or for a short period of time
Containers with a lid made from other materials are still included. The deposit will not apply to containers if they are:
- not single use
- made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – this is the material used to make milk bottles.
Defra has already revealed which drinks containers will be covered by the scheme, meaning households returning any of these to an approved collection point (either manual or through a reverse vending machine) will pocket a cash reward/
By offering people a monetary reason to recycle their old bottles and cans, the scheme aims to dramatically cut the volume of plastic ending up as waste. Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh told The Express: “This Government is committed to cleaning up our streets and ending our throwaway culture.
Deposit return schemes are proven to reduce the littering of cans and plastic bottles and drive up recycling rates which have flatlined for 15 years. Our packaging reforms will create 25,000 jobs and lead to more than £10 billion investment in recycling during the next decade.”
Urban retailers with shop floors smaller than 100m2 won’t be required to host a return point, though they’re welcome to volunteer. Various other businesses selling drinks can also sign up as voluntary return points, from pubs and restaurants to takeaways, schools, mobile food vendors, companies with vending machines, and leisure facilities including gyms and community hubs.
Defra confirmed Wales is developing its own bottle deposit scheme, designed to work in tandem with those in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They explained: “Under this scheme, a redeemable deposit is placed on specific drinks containers that can be claimed when the item is returned to a collection point, such as a local supermarket.
“There’s no need for a receipt or proof of purchase, so anyone can return their own drinks containers or ones that they find, as long as they’re in good nick. This means we can all chip in to help clean up our communities – and get something for it. This simple change will reward people for doing the right thing and recycling their empty drinks containers. Together, we will turn the tide on plastic waste.”
