UK DMO begins work on delivery of Deposit Return Scheme
The Northern Ireland Assembly, along with the UK Government and Scottish Government have announced the UK DMO as the operator of the Deposit Return Scheme.
A not-for-profit organisation, the UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd (UK DMO) is business-led, created to “deliver one of the most significant environmental infrastructure programmes in a generation”.
A money-back scheme for single-use drinks containers, which will incentivise people to recycle their drinks bottles and cans to redeem their deposits, the DRS will come into effect here in October 2027.
From that date, when people buy drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and 3 litres, they will pay a small deposit – which they will get back in full when they return the empty container for recycling.
Legislation for Northern Ireland and England came into force on 27th January 2025, thus enabling the appointment of the scheme administrator – known as the DMO – in April this year.
The DMO will now begin engaging with partners including the three governments, businesses including drinks producers and retailers, consumer and environmental groups to design and operate a scheme which works for everyone.
It is governed by a Board that brings together voices from across the drinks and retail sector in all three nations, with members having been nominated by trade associations representing both large and small producers, major supermarkets, small convenience stores and wholesalers from across NI, England and Scotland.
The DMO’s responsibilities include designing and operating the systems that make the scheme work – from producer registration to logistics, finance, fraud prevention and public communications.
Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association Executive Director, Michael Bell said food and drink manufacturers want the “smoothest possible operation for consumers, for industry and for delivering for the environment”.
“In Northern Ireland, we have seen how DRS has developed in the Republic of Ireland and we have been working with government and industry colleagues on the development of a similar scheme for the UK,” said Michael Bell.
“We look forward to working with DMO as the delivery of the scheme progresses.”
In a joint statement, the UK DMO Board said: “DRS is an opportunity to deliver a transformational step forward in the circular economy in the UK and the appointment of the DMO is a major milestone in that journey.
“We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenge, but our aim is simple – to build a system that’s fair, efficient and easy to use. Our work is already underway, and we’ll be working closely with governments, businesses of all sizes, environmental groups and consumer bodies to move forward as quickly as possible.”
Producers, retailers and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the UK DMO website and register their interest in getting updates at https://ukdmo.co.uk
