Welcome to the latest edition of the Exchange for Change newsletter.
As you may have already seen in the news last week, Exchange for change has been appointed as the Deposit Management Organisation for Wales, marking a significant milestone as we work towards launch in October 2027.
This is welcome news, and we lo forward to working closely with the Welsh Government to take the scheme forward. The appointment of Exchange for Change means there will be one administrator for the scheme across all four nations of the UK, which will help in delivering as simple and efficient DRS for both industry and customers.
We are now working at a pace to accelerate the work needed to launch the DRS in Wales, and we will keep you updated on our progress.
Special Olympics GB RVM Accessibility Trial
We’re pleased to be partnering with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Special Olympics Great Britain on an important trial regarding DRS accessibility at the National Summer Games in Birmingham for 27-30 August.
Hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities, alongside thousands of spectators, volunteers and supporters, will have the opportunity to use Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and engage with DRS in a real-world setting. As part of the trial, we’ll be gathering directed feedback on how clearly the machines and instructions are understood, where barriers may exist and how we can work together to make the scheme as accessible and inclusive as possible.
The findings will help inform improvements ahead of the scheme launching in October 2027. Ensuring the DRS works for everyone is an important part of our approach, and this trial will provide valuable insight as we continue to develop the scheme.
Share Your Views: Retailer Readiness Survey Coming Soon!
Do you own or operate a retail store? If so, we want to hear your views.
Launching in early September, our new monthly Retailer Readiness Survey will explore how prepared retailers feel for DRS, their perceptions of the scheme, steps they are taking to get ready and any further help they need. The survey is anonymous and will take just a minute or two to complete.
This feedback will be vital in helping us to understand retailer readiness and emerging needs over time, so that we can tailor our communications, guidance, and support to address retailers’ evolving requirements as we prepare for October 2027 together.
Keep an eye our for the invitation to participate, which will land in your inbox soon.
RVM Specifications and Certification
We’d like to remind retailers that we have not yet published a list of certified Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) for use in the UK’s deposit return scheme. Testing od machines is now getting underway, and we expect the list of certified RVMs to be available in early October. The list will continue to be updated as new machines come onto the market and will give assurance to retailers who are looking to purchase a RVM on whether the machines they are considering are certified.
We therefore encourage retailers to take account of the published RVM specification and certification process when engaging with suppliers and making procurement decisions. Further information on certified RVMs will be shared as this work progresses.
Appointments
We are pleased to announce the appointment of David Gell as Head of External Affairs.
David brings extensive experience in resources and waste policy, most recently serving as Head of Policy & Strategy for the Deposit Return Scheme at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), where he led the team responsible for introducing the DRS for drinks containers.
In that role his work included policy design and analysis, the appointment of Exchange for Change as the Deposit Management Organisation in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and stakeholder engagement across government and industry.
David’s focus at Exchange for Change is on building and maintaining strong relationships with industry, government and other stakeholders as we continue to work towards scheme launch in October 2027.
Coming up in September
We’ll continue our engagement across the sector throughout September, with the team attending the Better Retailing Festival & Awards in Birmingham, London Packaging Week at ExCel London, AVA Live: On the Road Seminar and the Footprint Festival Hampshire.
These events provide an opportunity to meet with retailers, producers and industry partners, share updates on preparations for DRS and answer questions as we move closer to launch. If you’re attending any of these events, we look forward to seeing you there.
Vacancies
Building the right team remains a priority as we move closer to launch, and we are currently recruiting for the following roles:
- Corporate Social Media Manager – Corporate Affairs
- Events & Partnerships Manager – Marketing
- Senior Internal Auditor – Finance
- IT Audit Manager – Finance
- Programme Delivery Manager – Strategy
- Finance Manager – Commercial – Finance
- Procurement Manager – Operations
- Materials Manager – Operations
Full job descriptions and application details are available on the Careers section of our website at www.exchangeforchange.co.uk/careers
Webinar Updates & Sign-Up
Following a successful first phase of DRS webinars at the start of the year, we’ll host a further series this autumn, providing business with the latest information and updates to help them prepare for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) launching in October 2027.
If you’d like to be one of the first to find out when registration opens for the webinars, you can sign up to receive updates at: www.exchangeforchange.co.uk/webinars
Stay Informed
Along with subscribing to this newsletter and following us on LinkedIn, the best way to stay informed is by regularly visiting the website www.exchangeforchange.co.uk, where we share all relevant scheme updates and information.
You’ll also be able to access our FAQs, which we recently updated based on the questions submitted as part of the inaugural webinar series.
If you have specific questions about the scheme, please email our helpdesk team enquiries@exchangeforchange.co.uk and we will do our best to assist.
