England and Northern Ireland’s bottle deposit return scheme is scheduled to begin on 1 October 2027. From that date, a deposit will be charged when an in-scope single-use drinks bottle or can is supplied, and the person who returns the empty container to an approved collector can claim a refund. The supported scope is PET plastic, steel or aluminium containers holding 150 ml to 3 litres. Scotland and Wales are establishing legally separate schemes, although the UK administrations say they intend them to work together.
The final consumer deposit amount, a complete list of return points and every cross-border return rule have not yet been published in the official material available as of October 2026. Those details must be checked against the relevant national scheme before you travel or budget for refunds.
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When does the bottle deposit scheme start?
The England and Northern Ireland regulations come into force on 1 October 2027. A joint policy statement from the UK administrations describes October 2027 as the revised timetable agreed across the UK. The date is prospective: the deposit and refund duties apply when the scheme starts, not to containers bought under today’s arrangements.
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The 2025 England and Northern Ireland regulations explain the consumer transaction this way: “From 1st October 2027, anyone in England or Northern Ireland who is supplied with a container drink to which these Regulations apply must pay a deposit to the person who supplies them with that drink, and a person who returns an empty container to a collector will be entitled to a refund.” That wording describes the statutory framework; it does not announce the numerical deposit.
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Which bottles and cans will qualify?
A container needs to meet all three practical tests below. The statutory definition refers to a single-use closed bottle or can made wholly or mainly from an in-scope material, containing at least 150 ml and no more than 3 litres of liquid, and intended to be used once or for a short period before disposal.
| Test | What the current policy supports | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Format and use | Single-use, closed drinks bottles and cans | Reusable packaging and packages outside the scheme definition should not be assumed to qualify. |
| Material | PET plastic, steel or aluminium | The container must be made wholly or mainly from an in-scope material under the regulations. |
| Capacity | 150 ml to 3 litres, inclusive | Containers below 150 ml or above 3 litres fall outside the stated size range. |
Do not extend this list to every drinks package. The policy statement identifies PET plastic, steel and aluminium; it does not establish a general UK-wide inclusion of glass. Each administration is expected to set out its position on glass in a separate statement, so check the current national rules if a glass bottle is involved.
The 150 ml lower limit is a deliberate policy boundary. A 2024 joint statement estimated that around 0.5% of plastic and metal drinks containers sold in the UK are smaller than 150 ml. That figure explains the chosen threshold; it is not a promise that every small container is excluded under every future amendment.
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How do you pay the deposit and claim a refund?
The transaction has two stages: payment when the drink is supplied and a return when the empty container reaches a scheme collector.
- Buy an in-scope drink. From commencement, the supplier must charge the applicable deposit alongside the drink price.
- Keep the empty container. The item must be returned through a collector operating under the relevant scheme. Follow that scheme’s instructions about condition, identification marks and handling once they are published.
- Take it to a return point or other approved collector. A qualifying retailer may operate a return point, but exemptions can apply. Do not assume that any shop selling drinks is automatically a collection site.
- Receive the refund. The England and Northern Ireland regulations allow a physical or electronic voucher. If you ask for a physical voucher, the collector must provide one.
- Use the voucher under the collector’s terms. The available sources establish the voucher entitlement, but not every payment method or redemption arrangement that operators may offer in practice.
The refund amount is tied to the scheme deposit. Under the England and Northern Ireland regulations, the relevant refund is based on the greater of the deposit level in force when the container is returned or the deposit level that applied when it was supplied as part of the scheme. That rule matters if the deposit changes between purchase and return.
How much will the deposit be?
No final numerical consumer deposit amount is established in the official sources available for this article. Treat figures circulating online as proposals unless the responsible administration or scheme operator confirms them. The regulations describe how a refund is calculated in relation to the deposit level, but they do not provide a consumer-facing amount in the material reviewed.
This also means you should not calculate a guaranteed saving per multipack or assume that a particular shop’s till price already includes a fixed deposit. Once the amount is set, retailers and operators will need to explain how it appears on receipts, vouchers and any electronic refund record.
Where can you return bottles and cans?
In England and Northern Ireland, a grocery retailer that supplies deposit items to consumers at covered premises generally has to operate a return point unless it receives an exemption under the regulations. A return point may be at the retailer’s premises or, in specified circumstances, at adjacent customer-parking premises.
“Generally” is important. The regulations include an exemption application process, so a small shop, supermarket or other grocery retailer may not have the same duty as another outlet. The current official material does not provide a complete, live consumer locator of return points before launch. When you need to return a container, check the national scheme’s published list or the collector’s own instructions rather than relying solely on where you bought the drink.
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Retailers may choose different collection equipment and operating hours. The legislation establishes the duty and voucher entitlement; operational details such as whether a particular point is staffed, accepts large batches or uses a reverse-vending machine must be confirmed locally after the scheme publishes them.
Are England, Scotland and Wales running one UK scheme?
No. The joint policy statement describes three legally distinct schemes:
- England and Northern Ireland;
- Scotland; and
- Wales.
The administrations have committed to making the schemes as interoperable and simple as possible. That is a policy objective, not a guarantee that every container bought in one nation can be returned at every point in another nation. A cross-border return may depend on the scheme mark, the collector’s authorization, the deposit account used for the sale and the rules in force at the return location.
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What to do on a cross-border journey
- Identify the nation in which you bought the drink and the nation in which you plan to return it.
- Check both schemes’ current instructions once operational guidance is available.
- Confirm that the proposed collector accepts containers from the other scheme before carrying a large quantity.
- Keep any receipt or electronic transaction record if the operator asks for proof of the deposit paid.
There is no basis yet for promising universal UK-wide refunds across national borders. The Republic of Ireland is separate again: the joint statement says its scheme launched in February 2024 for single-use drinks containers from 150 ml to 3 litres. A return in the Republic of Ireland therefore follows Irish rules, not automatically the rules for Northern Ireland.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens to refunds if the deposit changes?
The England and Northern Ireland regulations protect the refund by linking it to the higher applicable deposit level: the level when the container was supplied or the level when it is returned. This avoids reducing the refund merely because the scheme changed its deposit between those two dates.
The collector can issue the refund as a physical voucher or an electronic voucher. A physical voucher is mandatory when the returner requests it. The regulations do not, in the material reviewed, establish a single UK-wide rule for cash, card, bank-transfer or wallet payments, so do not assume that a voucher can always be exchanged for cash.
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For England and Northern Ireland, the regulations set a 90% collection target for calendar year 2030 and each later year. At least 85% of the PET refund items counted in the returned quantity used for that target must be included.
This is a statutory system-level target. It is not a measured result yet, and it does not mean that every individual consumer will receive a refund or that every container will be recovered. The target is used to assess the scheme’s overall collection performance.
Who operates the scheme?
The Northern Ireland department’s scheme information says UK DMO was appointed the official operator for England and Northern Ireland in May 2025 and designated the scheme operator in Scotland in June 2025. It also says Exchange for Change was launched as the brand in January 2026. Operator appointments and branding can change before the 2027 launch, so use the latest departmental or scheme-operator notice when you need to identify the organization responsible for a return point or complaint.
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Practical checklist before launch
- Check the container’s material, format and capacity: PET plastic, steel or aluminium; single-use closed bottle or can; 150 ml to 3 litres.
- Keep containers separate from ordinary recycling until you know the local collector’s preparation rules.
- Watch for the final deposit amount and the way it will appear on receipts.
- Save the national scheme’s return-point locator when it is published.
- If you live near a border, verify whether the intended collector accepts containers supplied under another nation’s scheme.
- Ask for a physical voucher if that is easier for you; the England and Northern Ireland regulations require one when requested.
Key dates and facts at a glance
| Item | Current position |
|---|---|
| England and Northern Ireland commencement | 1 October 2027 |
| Supported container size | 150 ml to 3 litres |
| Named materials | PET plastic, steel and aluminium |
| Final consumer deposit amount | Not established in the official material available as of October 2026 |
| Voucher formats in England and Northern Ireland | Physical or electronic; physical voucher required if requested |
| England and Northern Ireland collection target | 90% in calendar year 2030 and later, with at least 85% PET refund items in the returned quantity used for the target |
| Republic of Ireland launch | February 2024, under a separate scheme |
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