The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025 No. 67

Part 6 Return of returnable items

Chapter 7 General obligations of scheme collectors

Form of return amount

47.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a scheme collector must pay the total return amount for the returnable items that it accepts from any person and do so using one or more of the following means—

(a) cash in sterling;

(b) a payment to a debit or credit card;

(c) a refund voucher.

(2) If the scheme collector is a scheme retailer (other than a scheme retailer who does not accept cash), the scheme collector must—

(a) offer to pay the total return amount in the form of money or a refund voucher to the person returning the returnable items to them (the “returner”), and

(b) if the returner accepts the offer, pay the total return amount in the form of money or a refund voucher as requested by the returner.

(3) A refund voucher—

(a) may be provided in either a physical or electronic format, but

(b) must be provided in a physical format, if requested by the returner.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a) “refund voucher” means a voucher, token or similar item which is capable of being exchanged immediately for a sum of money or a payment to a debit or credit card, equal to the relevant total return amount, and

(b) it does not matter whether a refund voucher is capable of being exchanged (whether with the scheme collector or with another person)—

(i) for goods or services, or

(ii) singly or together with any other refund vouchers or other vouchers or similar items;

(c) the “total return amount” payable to a returner is the aggregate of each return amount payable for a returnable item presented by the returner and accepted by the scheme collector.

Requirement for return point operators to retain returnable items

48.  A return point operator (other than the deposit management organisation) must retain the returnable items that it accepts at the return point for collection by, or on behalf of, the deposit management organisation.

Requirement for take-back service providers to retain or return returnable items

49.  A take-back service provider must either—

(a) retain the returnable items that it accepts through the take-back service for collection by, or on behalf of, the deposit management organisation, or

(b) return the returnable items that it accepts through the take-back service to the deposit management organisation or a person acting on behalf of the deposit management organisation.