Preparing for DRS: How to get the big decisions right (Convenience Store, in partnership with Tomra and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners)
With about 13 months until the UK deposit return scheme goes live, the piece argues convenience stores should treat DRS as a commercial opportunity, not only a compliance job. Exchange For Change is offering £60m in grants (up to £6,000 per indie site) to help small retailers install reverse vending machines.
Evidence from other DRS markets suggests most shoppers spend their deposit refund in the same store, and return trips often mean a larger basket. Retailers need to choose between manual take-back and RVMs. Tomra argues automation is usually better for customer experience and staff workload, provided machine size matches expected volumes. Return handling fees are set at 3p per container for manual returns, and for automated returns at 5p up to 225,000 containers a year, then 1.3p above that.
Other practical points: place the return point with the shopper in mind, signpost it clearly, and plan early. The closing line is that doing nothing is the worst option.
