UK DMO Newsletter #7 - December 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of UK DMO’s industry newsletter. 

As we approach the end of the year, it's worth reflecting on just how far we've come since our appointment at the beginning of summer.  

In the space of six months, we've established our headquarters in Milton Keynes, built a Board with representation across the full breadth of the industry, appointed Russell Davies as our CEO, recruited across our senior leadership team, launched our Industry Advisory Group and Consumer Engagement Forum, published our official Reverse Vending Machine specifications and maintained active engagement with governments and stakeholders across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

With Russell set to join in January and much of the core leadership team and organisational structures now in place, UK DMO is well positioned to accelerate progress into the new year. Our focus will shift increasingly toward finalising scheme design, advancing key procurements and supporting industry readiness across the UK as we move into the detailed implementation phase ahead of our October 2027 launch. 

We're grateful for the continued collaboration and commitment from stakeholders across all sectors, and we look forward to maintaining that momentum as we enter 2026 with clear purpose and direction.  

Board strengthened with Independent Non-Executive Directors   

The UK DMO Board has been further strengthened with the appointment of two Independent Non-Executive Directors, bringing further expertise across sustainability, finance, procurement and supply chain management.

Juliet Sotnick joins the Board with extensive experience in sustainability and procurement leadership. She has held senior roles at organisations including Sky, Babcock International Group and IHS Towers, where she led large-scale procurement and sustainability programmes. Her background includes driving circular economy initiatives and supply chain transformation across complex, global operations. 

Lynda Heywood brings significant expertise in finance, treasury and business operations, developed through senior leadership roles at major organisations including Kingfisher and Tesco, where she served as Group Treasurer. Her experience spans financial control, capital management and strategic planning in large, operationally complex businesses. 

Both appointments enhance the Board's capability to oversee the complex operational, financial and stakeholder challenges involved in delivering a successful nationwide deposit return scheme. We're pleased to welcome Juliet and Lynda to the team. 

Growing the team   

Recruitment continues at pace as we build out the organisation ahead of our move into the detailed implementation phase.  

We're pleased to welcome several new team members who will play important roles in supporting the DMO's day-to-day operations and stakeholder engagement: 

• Liz Fitchew has joined as PA and Office Manager, supporting the smooth running of our Milton Keynes headquarters 

• Lee Loakes joins as Helpdesk Lead, building the support infrastructure for retailers, producers and consumers 

• Mark Wintermantle has joined the Producer Development team, where he'll help guide packaging requirements and producer onboarding 

• Henrik Malmquist joins as People Director, leading the DMO's people strategy and organisational development as we continue to scale 

• Robert Shaw has joined as Head of Finance, building out the finance function and supporting the ongoing development of the DMO's financial model 

Recruitment remains ongoing for several senior and functional roles, including Head of Corporate Affairs, Head of Procurement and additional positions within Producer Development.  

Brand and logo consultation launches   

The DMO's brand and logo development workstream is progressing to schedule. Following wide consumer testing with all age groups and accessibility specialists, we entered a stakeholder consultation period on 1st December to help determine the name and logo for the scheme.   

This is an important moment in shaping how the public will experience the Deposit Return Scheme. The brand needs to be clear, trusted and accessible to everyone, and we're committed to getting this right through careful research and inclusive consultation. 

We're working with Uncommon Creative Studio, a global creative agency with experience in major brand projects, to lead this work. 

Engagement and communications   

The DMO continues to maintain an active presence across industry events and forums, ensuring we stay connected with stakeholders and share progress as it happens.   

We recently issued an update specifically for the convenience sector, outlining what we know so far about exemptions, voluntary participation and retailer handling payments, as well as when further details will be available.   

Board Director Rebecca Oliver-Mooney has been leading this engagement, working closely with the Association of Convenience Stores, Scottish Grocers Federation and the Fed. Rebecca said: "Convenience retail will be crucial in making DRS a success. While we aren't able to answer all questions now, we want to provide as much clarity as we can, as soon as we can. DRS is on the way, and now is the time to start considering what this means for your business." 

Detailed guidance for independent retailers will be published in early summer 2026, and we'll continue to engage the sector through trade associations, direct consultation and events. 

Engagement with governments and regulatory bodies across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland remains positive and constructive. We've established dedicated monthly deep-dive sessions with regulators to cover specific technical areas, including IT systems, and these discussions continue to inform our planning and delivery approach. 

Our second quarterly report to governments and regulators has been circulated, providing transparency on progress and highlighting key milestones achieved over recent months. 

We continue to work closely with Investing Members and Trade Associations, including regarding the DRS in Wales. Alignment across all four nations remains a central priority, and we're grateful for the collaborative spirit from all sides. 

Looking ahead to 2026   

As we close out 2025, our focus is firmly on the year ahead. With Russell joining as CEO in January, the organisation is well positioned to move into the detailed implementation phase set out in our roadmap.   

From finalising logistics and processing tenders to advancing IT specifications and preparing for producer and retailer registration, 2026 will be a pivotal year in bringing the Deposit Return Scheme to life. 

We're entering this phase with a strong leadership team, a growing organisation and the continued support and collaboration of stakeholders across industry, government and civil society. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the progress made this year. 

We wish you all a restful break and look forward to picking up the work with renewed energy in the new year. 

Keeping in touch

Please continue to visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date on our work.