Deposit Return Schemes: What hospitality businesses need to know across England, Scotland and Wales

Usually, no. Where drinks are sold for consumption on the premises, for example in pubs, restaurants, hotels and bars, hospitality venues can operate what’s called a closed loop system. That means the venue manages empty containers internally and does not need to charge the customer a deposit at the till. This is a deliberate policy choice recognising that hospitality is not retail. Empty containers remain on site, so there is no consumer return to manage and no cash handling at the bar. However, where a venue sells takeaway or packaged drinks (for example bottled soft drinks from a café fridge), different rules may apply and operators should consider what’s best for their business in terms of whether to charge deposits or absorb them depending on the sales model.

No. Across England and Scotland, hospitality venues are not required to host public return points. They may choose to do so voluntarily, but there is no obligation to accept containers they did not sell. This removes one of the biggest practical and space‑related concerns for the sector.

In England and Scotland, the DRS applies to single use PET plastic bottles and aluminium or steel cans between 150ml and 3 litres. Glass is excluded from the aligned England–Scotland scheme but will be part of the Wales scheme. For hospitality operators, this means that beer cans, soft drink bottles and water bottles are typically in scope, while non glass wine and spirit bottles are not, at least outside Wales.

For most venues, DRS will be a back of house issue, not a front of house one. Practical steps include:

• Ensuring drinks are sourced from registered producers
• Segregating in scope containers behind the scenes
• Aligning waste contracts so containers are collected appropriately

Training staff to answer customer questions accurately and confidently.

Early planning is particularly important for multi site operators, where consistency across locations will reduce training and compliance risk.

1. Re use complexity
   
   Reusable glass systems require reverse logistics, storage space and cleaning infrastructure, features that many hospitality venues, especially smaller sites, simply do not have. 
   
   
2. Cross border and national brand issues
   
   Businesses operating across England, Wales and Scotland may face different labelling, storage and handling rules for the same product, increasing cost and operational risk.
   
   
3. Glass and fraud risk
   
   Industry groups have warned that a Wales only glass deposit risks cross border fraud, with containers purchased in one nation returned in another, particularly if deposits or scope differ. Estimates of potential fraud run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
   
   
4. Customer confusion
   
   Different rules on what can be returned and where risk undermining consumer confidence and increasing front of house friction, particularly in tourist areas and border regions.