DRS: Policy Paper Confirms Official Appointment of the Deposit Management Organisation for the UK

The UK government has confirmed the appointment of UK Deposit Management Organisation Limited (UK DMO) to operate the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), launching on 1 October 2025 across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Finalised on 2 May, the appointment puts UK DMO – an industry-led, not-for-profit body – in charge of developing and running the scheme’s operations.

The DMO will handle the logistics, such as material collection, processing, and infrastructure setup. However, it will not set timelines, define eligible container types, or manage legislative aspects of the scheme – those responsibilities remain with the UK government and devolved administrations.

A new policy paper published on 7 May outlines the specific duties of the DMO, as well as the roles of government and regulators.

Taken from the policy paper, the DMO is responsible for:

· Meeting the collection targets laid down in the legislation

· Operation of the scheme, including management and oversight of the material and financial flows

· Producing and publishing technical information for businesses to prepare for the scheme

· Engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure they can contribute to the design of the scheme

· Raising consumer awareness of the scheme

· Creating an easy process for users of the scheme to raise queries.

Going forward, government departments and environmental regulators will assist the DMO by advising on regulations, supporting industry engagement, and monitoring scheme rollout and performance. Regulators will also oversee compliance and enforcement within their respective regions.

To read the policy paper, which contains the full list of DMO and governmental responsibilities, click here.

For the UK DMO website, click here.