The Welsh Government has appointed a firm to run a bottle deposit scheme from next year.

Exchange for Change, which had already been chosen to run the new recycling programmes in the rest of the UK, will run Wales' Deposit return scheme from October 2027.

Unlike other parts of the UK, the scheme in Wales will include glass drinks containers.

The drinks industry have warned that a separate approach could increase costs, complicate labelling and distribution and reduce the range of products available in Wales, pointing to Wales’ existing record on glass recycling, saying 92% of household glass was already collected for recycling.

Announcing the appointment of Exchange for Change, Llŷr Gruffydd MS, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, said: "The Scheme will include plastic (PET), metal and glass drinks containers from day one, but in line with the Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (Wales) Regulations 2026 a four-year transition period will apply to glass drinks containers, during which glass drinks containers will be exempt from labelling requirements and carry a zero pence deposit.

"This marks the next step towards delivering a DRS for Wales, which will collect empty drinks containers to tackle litter, keep communities cleaner, further improve Wales’ recycling and support the transition from recycling to reuse.

"By applying a deposit which is redeemed when drinks containers are returned, the scheme will tackle litter whilst supporting the collection of high-quality recycled materials. In turn, the DRS will help provide a pathway towards the roll-out of reuseable drinks containers in Wales.

"The Welsh Government will work closely with Exchange for Change and delivery partners as they develop the return network, collection and processing infrastructure, producer registration arrangements, and operational systems in readiness for the scheme’s launch in October 2027."