Exchange for Change has confirmed the fees retailers will receive for collecting drinks containers under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), with payments ranging from 3p per container for manual returns to 5p for reverse vending machine collections.
Exchange for Change, the administrator tasked with rolling out the scheme, has confirmed that return handling fees (RHFs) will be paid on a tiered basis depending on whether retailers operate manual collection points or reverse vending machines (RVMs).
Retailers operating manual return points will receive 3p per container returned. Those using RVMs will receive 5p per container on the first 225,000 containers returned each year, falling to 1.3p per container thereafter.
The fees are designed to compensate retailers for the costs associated with operating return points, including equipment, storage space, staff training and handling returned containers.
Exchange for Change said the structure had been developed following six months of consultation with retailers, producers and trade bodies.
“We have taken onboard a wide range of feedback provided by retailers, producers and trade bodies, and established a return handling fee that reflects the complexities of the UK retail landscape and ensures the scheme remains in balance,” Exchange for Change chief executive Russell Davies said.
“The RHF reflects this diversity in our retail sector and delivers a fair scheme for all.”
Set to launch in October 2027 across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the introduction of a DRS is one of the biggest changes to UK drinks retail infrastructure in decades.
Exchange For Change is the trading name of UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO), which has been designated to deliver the Deposit Return Scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. While the English and Northern Irish systems operate under separate legislation from the Scottish system, they will be all operated by the same organisation.
The scheme will cover PET plastic, steel and aluminium drinks containers between 150ml and 3L. Consumers will pay a refundable deposit when purchasing eligible drinks, which they can reclaim by returning empty containers to participating return points.
While the fees provide greater certainty for retailers, Exchange for Change stressed that the figures are not set in stone. The RHF will be reviewed before the scheme goes live and will then be reassessed annually.
