Independent brewers are calling for a delay to the new Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) that will affect major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons. The scheme, scheduled for 1 October 2027, would require these stores to host return points for single-use drink containers. The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), which represents around 700 small independent breweries, has written to ministers urging a pause of at least a year.
Lack of clarity leaves producers unprepared
SIBA says that producers, especially small ones, need 18 to 24 months from when meaningful decisions are made to implement the scheme successfully. With only 13 months until the planned launch, the lack of detail has left them unprepared. The government's legislation, published on the GOV website, states: "Supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents that sell drinks in the scheme must host a return point for drinks containers, unless they qualify for an exemption. The return point can be manual or automated using a reverse vending machine."
However, SIBA claims no clarity has been provided on how the glass scheme will work and interact with the separate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Andy Slee, Chief Executive of SIBA, said: "It feels like déjà vu on the Deposit Return Schemes, where a lack of clarity and different rules across the UK doomed the scheme in Scotland before it could even launch."
Call for consistent rules across the UK
Mr Slee added: "We want to see a DRS that works for all producers and consumers and the simplest way to do that would be to have the same scope and the same rules across the UK." Malcolm Herbert from Core of the Poodle Brewery echoed these concerns, saying: "We've been trying to get clarity on how the DRS is going to actually operate but the Welsh Government has been dragging its feet on the appointment of an administrator and hasn't clarified how glass in the scheme would possibly work."
Mr Herbert warned: "The only way forward is to pause it for at least a year to give all four nations the extra time it needs to sort out the chaotic rules. If it doesn't then 90 Welsh breweries will be negatively impacted, won't be able to compete across the UK and beer consumers will lose out."
Potential impact on Welsh breweries
The letter to ministers highlights that 90 Welsh breweries could be adversely affected if the scheme proceeds as planned without further clarity. The call for delay comes under the government led by Labour Party Prime Minister Andy Burnham, with the legislation applying to England and Northern Ireland. The DRS would require businesses that produce or sell drinks in these regions to comply with new responsibilities, including hosting return points.
As the October 2027 deadline approaches, SIBA and its members are urging the government to pause the implementation to allow for proper preparation and coordination across all four nations of the UK.
