Deposit Return Scheme (DRS): Letter from the Environmental Policy Forum
At the start of 2019, the Government held a consultation on introducing a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers.
The Environmental Policy Forum sent a letter responding to the consultation, calling for the scheme to be rolled out alongside the necessary infrastructure to turn it into a success, noting challenges in other countries.
As the IES supports action to embed a Circular Economy in decisions, our CEO Adam Donnan signed the letter in support. We also supported letters on the Extended Producer Responsibility, a tax for plastic packaging, and household and business recycling.
More on the Circular Economy
Where to find out more
The Environmental Policy Forum is a coalition of professional bodies, including the IES, promoting environmental sustainability and resilience for the public benefit. It supports better policy decisions through joint letters and policy positions.
Though a Deposit Return Scheme has been implemented since 2019, its implementation struggled. Read about the state of progress in 2026 in our gap analysis on environmental policy.
- If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest developments, make sure you are subscribed to Essential Environment.
- For more information about policy priorities, read our recommendations on the Circular Economy for the UK Government.
- Take a step towards developing your own policy skills through our training on ‘Understanding environmental policy’ and 'Influencing and Engaging with policy'.
- To support the delivery of policies in practice at a local level, see our Environmental Policy Implementation Community.
If you want to support the work of the IES, you can become an affiliate, or if you’re a professional in the environmental sector working with science, consider joining the IES.
Header image credit: © karepa | Adobe Stock
