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Newry-based Re-Gen has been appointed as Northern Ireland's collection and processing partner for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), with a dedicated processing line in Newry due to be operational from October 2027. Exchange For Change, the industry-led organisation delivering the scheme in the UK, has appointed five waste management and recycling providers to handle logistics and processing.
From October 2027, a 20p deposit will apply to all single use PET plastic, aluminium and steel drinks containers between 150ml and 3L. Consumers will get their deposit back when they return their containers to a return point.
Re-Gen and the other logistics and processing partners will collect the returned bottles and cans from return points and process them so the material can be recycled into new drinks containers. It is estimated that more than 6.5 billion cans and bottles in the UK end up as waste every year rather than being recycled, whereas the average return rate in European countries with a DRS is 90 per cent.
Re-Gen is the biggest waste management company in the north, processing household domestic waste. It employs more than 400 people at two sites in Newry.
Re-Gen CEO Joseph Doherty said: "We are delighted to have been appointed by Exchange for Change as Northern Ireland's collection and processing partner for the Deposit Return Scheme. This represents a major milestone for Re-Gen and an important step in creating the infrastructure required to deliver a successful DRS across the region. We look forward to working closely with retailers, Exchange For Change and stakeholders across the supply chain to ensure the Deposit Return Scheme delivers lasting environmental and economic benefits for Northern Ireland.”
The appointments followed an extensive tender process. Exchange For Change says the approach is designed to make the system as resilient as possible and will allow the infrastructure to be scaled in future. The agreements are expected to unlock millions of pounds of investment in recycling infrastructure and create around 700 new jobs.
Alongside Re-Gen in Northern Ireland, SUEZ will cover the North-East, North-West, West-Central and South West regions of England, while CIRQLR will cover the East Central, South and South East regions of England. Re.Group will operate in Scotland in partnership with Hargreaves Services plc, and Bywaters will cover London.
Three dedicated DRS processing facilities in Scotland, Scunthorpe and Guildford, two dedicated processing lines in Isle of Dogs and Newry, and one shared-use plastics recycling facility in Avonmouth will be operational from October 2027. Three new purpose-built processing facilities in Ely in Cambridgeshire, Knowsley in Merseyside and Avonmouth will follow in October 2030. Around 400 new recycling vehicles are also expected to be mobilised to collect DRS materials from every corner of the UK.
Russell Davies, Exchange for Change Chief Executive, said: "Confirming our logistics and processing partners is another significant milestone in our preparations for the scheme going live from October 2027."
