DRS operator confirms return handling fees for 2027 launch. Exchange for Change, the organisation delivering the Deposit Return Scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has confirmed the return handling fees retailers will receive when the scheme launches in October 2027. The tiered fees cover manual and automatic return points.
The return handling fee is set at 3p per container for manual return points, where stores collect and return containers over the counter. Automatic return points, which use reverse vending machines, operate on a tiered basis: 5p per container for the first 225,000 in-scope items returned annually, and 1.3p per container for returns above that threshold.
Exchange for Change set the fees following industry consultation and says the rate will be reviewed early next year before the scheme goes live, then annually using operational data from producers and retailers. Chief executive Russell Davies said the fee reflects the diversity of the UK retail sector and delivers a fair scheme for all.
