Exchange For Change Announces DRS Support for Retailers

Exchange For Change, the industry-led organisation delivering the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has today confirmed a package of targeted support for retailers, as work progresses towards the scheme’s October 2027 launch.

The DRS regulations allow for retailers in urban areas with a retail footprint of less than 100m² to be automatically exempted from operating a return point for DRS items. However Exchange For Change has agreed an extension of the exemption criteria with regulators in all three nations, allowing for retailers with a sales area of between 100m² and 199m² in urban settings and rural retailers with less than 200m² of sales area to apply for a size-based exemption. Further exemption allowances have also been agreed on the basis of proximity, heritage or listed building restrictions, site access or lack of access to utilities.

In addition, Exchange For Change is making available £60m in grant funding to help up to 10,000 small, independent retailers meet the cost of installing Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Grants of £6,000 will be made available per site to qualifying small, independent retailers in three annual payments of £2,000, which will be funded three months after the installation of an RVM.

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