Major drinks manufacturers and grocery retailers have called on the Welsh government to appoint an administrator for Wales’ Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) by the end of July.

Executives from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, PepsiCo, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Carlsberg Britvic, The Co-operative Group, Asahi UK and Highland Spring are among the signatories to a joint open letter addressed to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The businesses are urging the government to appoint Exchange for Change, which was selected to administer the schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in May 2025. They argue that using the same organisation offers the most practical route to launching the Welsh scheme on schedule while ensuring compatibility with the rest of the UK.

Wales’ DRS is due to launch on 1 October 2027. With less than 15 months remaining, the signatories warned that continued delays could make commercial and operational preparations more difficult, potentially increasing costs for businesses and consumers.

They also raised concerns that Welsh consumers could be charged deposits on eligible drinks containers without having access to a functioning return network through which to reclaim their money.

The inclusion of glass has been a point of contention in the development of the Welsh scheme. Industry representatives claimed that requiring full-scale glass collection at every return point from launch could add approximately 50p to the cost of each drink sold in a glass bottle. They said this could disproportionately affect smaller Welsh breweries and drinks manufacturers that rely on glass packaging.

However, the letter welcomed the government’s manifesto commitment to bring glass into the scheme only when its inclusion becomes practically feasible.

Exchange for Change’s appointment in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland unlocked more than £1 billion of industry investment, according to the letter. The schemes are expected to support more than 4,300 jobs.

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said: “A well-run Deposit Return Scheme reduces litter, boosts recycling rates, reduces carbon emissions and creates a cleaner environment for communities – every week without a scheme administrator for the proposed Welsh scheme makes delivering those benefits more challenging".

“Businesses want to focus on building a scheme that genuinely serves Welsh consumers and the environment. Therefore, we respectfully encourage the Welsh government to move forward with appointing a scheme administrator before recess.”

The Co-operative Group said appointing Exchange for Change would help accelerate progress towards a circular economy while protecting the price and availability of drinks in Wales.

Andy Bagnall, director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said the new Welsh government had inherited the delays from the previous administration but still had time to deliver the scheme.

“There is still time to deliver a scheme that works for shoppers, businesses and retailers alike, but that window is closing rapidly,” Bagnall commented. “Appointing Exchange for Change offers the quickest and most practical route to delivering the scheme on time and alongside the rest of the UK.”

He added that the government should adopt a “pragmatic approach” to glass instead of requiring full-scale collection from the scheme’s first day.