Wales reopens DRS administrator search after sole bid rejected. The Welsh government has reopened applications for the deposit return scheme's Deposit Management Organisation after rejecting the sole bid from Exchange for Change, weeks before the Senedd dissolved for May's elections. The ACS warns the delay leaves little time for the October 2027 launch.
Exchange for Change, which is already running DRS administration in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, was the only applicant to oversee operational design and delivery of the Welsh scheme. Its bid was rejected weeks before the Senedd was dissolved ahead of the 7 May elections, meaning no administrator can be confirmed until after the next government takes office. The Welsh government has reopened the process, with the new application window closing on 2 June.
Wales' scheme differs from those elsewhere in the UK by including glass drink containers, adding complexity to scheme design and delivery. The ACS said the failure to make progress was "extremely concerning", particularly given that the Welsh scheme is more complex and costly than those coming into force in the rest of the UK.
