EXCHANGE FOR CHANGE

Newsletter #13 – June 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of the Exchange For Change newsletter

This month marked another significant milestone as we laid out our package of targeted support for retailers, including extended exemption criteria and grant funding for small, independent stores. These announcements, alongside last month’s confirmation of the Return Handling Fee, provide important clarity for businesses at the frontline of the scheme as they plan for the October 2027 launch.

We’ve continued to meet with retailers and other industry stakeholders this month, and we’ve been delighted to be part of a pilot at Wimbledon Championships, organised in partnership with Evian and the The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which gave spectators a chance to experience how the DRS will work in practice.

Exemptions and grants 

Earlier this month we were pleased to confirm the support that will be available for retailers in preparation for the DRS’s launch in October 2027.

The first part of this support relates to the extension of criteria allowing businesses to be exempt from acting as a return point. Retailers with a sales area of 100m² are automatically exempt from the scheme, however, now retailers between 100m2 and 199m² in urban settings and rural retailers with a sales area of less than 200m² can apply for a size-based exemption. Further exemption allowances have also been agreed based on proximity, heritage or listed building restrictions, site access or lack of access to utilities.

We’re also making £60m in grant funding available to help small, independent retailers meet the cost of installing Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Grants of £6,000 will be available per site in three annual payments of £2,000, funded three months after the installation of an RVM.

This follows our announcement of the Return Handling Fee (RHF), which has been structured into the following tiers:

  1. Manual return points will receive 3p per container
  2. Automatic return points will receive 5p per container up to 225,000 in-scope items returned annually
  3. Automatic return points will receive 1.3p per container for returns more than 225,000 in-scope items.

The full return point exemptions criteria can be found on our website here. Further details on how to apply for exemptions and eligibility for grants will be made available in Q3 2026.

 

Update on DRS Barcodes

Our helpdesk has been busy fielding queries on a lot of different topics about the DRS, and recently some of these have been about barcodes.

In order to be compliant with DRS regulations, producers will need to include barcodes all in-scope containers – those made wholly or mainly of PET plastic, aluminium or steel between 150ml and 3 litres – and these will need to be registered with Exchange For Change.

The requirement includes national barcodes created specifically for the UK DRS, as well as international barcodes used on products sold in other markets as well as the UK.

Why do barcodes need to be changed?

All barcodes must be updated and registered for two key reasons:

  • Traceability: To ensure all stakeholders in the supply chain can easily identify products that have had the deposit applied and producer fee paid
  • Fraud Prevention: To eliminate the risk of financial fraud caused by pre-DRS stock being incorrectly returned for a deposit redemption.

For reference, Exchange For Change’s material specification has now been updated in section 5 & 5.5 to highlight this requirement and can be accessed here. The relevant excerpts are also included below.

Product identification and barcoding

As per the regulations, there is a requirement for scheme containers to carry a scheme return code (Barcode as registered on the Scheme Article List). This is a specific obligation for producers and a breach of the regulations if not met. Individual containers within the deposit return system must display a barcode to ensure that the product can be clearly identified in both Reverse Vending Machines and at Exchange For Change’s counting and sorting facilities.

All existing product barcodes will require to be changed.

International Barcodes:

Producers using barcodes on their products that are also used in other markets (rather than specific barcodes created for DRS) may choose to do so, although this may be subject to an additional charge on the standard producer fee. Any such additional charge will be decided by the Exchange For Change Board in 2026, in line with the overall producer fee structure.

International barcodes will require to be changed and registered with Exchange For Change.
Wimbledon RVM Trial

A partnership between Exchange For Change, Evian and The All England Lawn Tennis Club saw a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) pilot run at last week’s Wimbledon Championships Qualifying Competition in Roehampton, allowing spectators to experience how the UK Deposit Return Scheme will work in practice.

Over the course of four days, spectators paid a 20p deposit on 75cl bottles of Evian and returned them to two RVMs on site.

One of several pilots taking place this year, it tested how RVMs operate in a live event setting ahead of the scheme’s national rollout next year.

All deposits collected through the pilot will be donated to the Wimbledon Foundation, supporting a range of local and national community projects.
 

Out and about

June has been another busy month of engagement with retailers and industry stakeholders across the country.

Our Corporate Affairs Director, Kate McFerran, joined a panel alongside fellow industry representatives at the Federation of Independent Retailers’ National Conference in Birmingham to explore what the Deposit Return Scheme means for independent retailers. The discussion covered the opportunities and challenges ahead, as well as hearing first-hand thoughts from members on their needs as we move towards launch in October 2027. Lots of valuable insights were shared alongside important conversations around what’s next for retailers.

We also attended the Scottish Grocers’ Federation Mini Summit in Falkirk where Board Director, Jonathan Kemp shared the latest Deposit Return Scheme updates and joined a panel session to discuss what retailers need to know before the DRS launch in October 2027. The convenience sector is set to play a crucial role in transforming how we increase recycling and reduce litter, and our role at Exchange For Change is to turn the scheme detail into clear, usable guidance, so retailers can make the right choices for their businesses and plan with confidence.

In addition, Board Director, Richard Booth met with stakeholders at the Food & Drink Wholesale Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, continuing conversations on how the scheme will work in practice for businesses across the supply chain.

Kate McFerran at the Federation of Independent Retailers’ National Conference in Birmingham

Appointments

Mel Matson (L), Jenny Powell (R)

We’re pleased to announce the appointment of Jenny Powell as Chief Operating Officer.

Jenny is a senior commercial and operational leader with responsibility for designing and operationalising the end-to-end deposit return scheme, and management and continuous improvement thereafter.

Having built and managed two successful commercial consultancies, Jenny brings a track record of mobilising and transforming complex supply chain ecosystems within organisations ranging from sustainability start-ups to global PLCs, and experience from across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Jenny said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine my sustainability and supply chain expertise to bring about lasting change within the UK.”

We’re also pleased to announce Mel Matson as our new Marketing Director.

Mel has significant experience in driving large-scale consumer behaviour change, predominantly within UK grocery retailers. Having held senior leadership roles at Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Iceland, she has built a career translating complex propositions into simple, motivating actions that influence millions of consumers every week.

At Co-op, one of the UK’s largest convenience retailers, Mel led major national campaigns including the launch of the UK’s first nationwide soft plastics recycling scheme. With millions of drinks bottles and cans purchased through Co-op convenience retail, she brings first hand experience in designing communications and experiences that land at the heart of consumer’s lives.

Vacancies

Building the right team remains a priority as we move closer to launch, and we currently have several positions available based at our Milton Keynes HQ.

We’re recruiting for a Strategy Manager to lead some of our most important strategic priorities and problem-solving efforts, a Sustainability Manager to measure and maximise the scheme’s environmental outcomes, and a Finance Manager to shape the financial and governance infrastructure of the organisation.

Full job descriptions and application details are available on the careers section of our website at www.exchangeforchange.co.uk/careers

Webinar updates sign up 

Following a successful first phase of DRS webinars at the start of the year, we’ll be hosting a further series in late summer, providing businesses with the latest information and updates to help them prepare for the UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) launching in October 2027.

If you’d like to be one of the first to find out when registration opens for the webinars, you can sign up to receive updates at www.exchangeforchange.co.uk/webinars

Stay informed 

Along with subscribing to this newsletter and following us on LinkedIn, the best way to stay informed is by regularly visiting the website www.exchangeforchange.co.uk where we share all relevant scheme updates and information.

You’ll also be able to access our FAQs, which we recently updated based on from the questions submitted as part of the inaugural webinar series.

If you have specific questions about the scheme, please email our helpdesk who will do their best to assist at enquiries@exchangeforchange.co.uk

 

If you are a Producer or Return Point Operator*, it’s important that you register your business with Exchange for Change. Don’t worry, we’ve made it quick and easy to do. Join 270,000+ other businesses creating a cleaner country for all of us.

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*most supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, or newsagents