Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has reaffirmed its support for the upcoming deposit return scheme (DRS) in England and Northern Ireland as the government has confirmed its start date to “clean up Britain”.

Today (27 January) the government has announced that the DRS, which will see customers able to claim a small monetary reward for returning single-use plastic, steel and aluminium empty drinks containers to a designated return point for recycling, will officially launch in October 2027.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners – the sole licensed bottler for the drink giant’s products in Europe – which has long been a supporter of the scheme, GB business unit vice president and general manager Stephen Moorhouse said that while delivering to the timelines will be “challenging”, it is “achievable”.

“Now is the time for industry to roll up its sleeves to create a well-designed system that works for businesses, shoppers and the environment,” he added.

The scheme is used in more than 50 countries worldwide as a common-sense means of encouraging people to recycle more single-use bottles and cans, and its average return rate for European countries is 90%, according to global eNGO Reloop.

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Across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, consumers buy an estimated 30 billion single-use drinks containers each year – including 12 billion plastic drinks bottles and 13 billion drinks cans.

An estimated 6.5 billion single-use drinks bottles and cans per year go to waste rather than being recycled, with many ending up littered, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “This government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.

“This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife. Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains, and new green jobs.”

It comes despite supermarket chiefs having urged the government to postpone the launch of the DRS, claiming the October 2027 rollout was “not feasible” and would inflict significant costs on retailers.

Last week, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said the government’s impact assessment estimated a £228m per year net cost to businesses, which he described as “another unsustainable cost”, warning consumers would have to “bear the burden”.