Wales is to move forward with its own deposit return scheme in a bid to encourage recycling, as it remains committed to including glass bottles.

Under the initiative, customers will be able to claim a small monetary reward for returning empty bottles.

The previous UK Conservative government had ruled that glass could not be included in a deposit return scheme due to the Internal Market Act 2020, which looks to prevent internal trade barriers in the UK.

However, the Welsh government will retain its plan to include glass bottles and will push ahead with its own scheme, rather than a deposit return scheme in conjunction with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Sky News reported.

All four governments had previously put out a combined policy statement to facilitate “interoperable schemes across the UK”.

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It stated the deposit return scheme (DRS) in each nation would be launched in October 2027, however the revised scheme is now due to launch in Wales at a later date.

Wales’s deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it had “not been possible to address the issues” made by the Internal Market Act “in the time available”.

However, a UK government spokesperson confirmed to Sky News that it was “committed” to bringing in the scheme, excluding glass, which would launch in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland in October 2027.

The move by Wales comes despite more than 60 retailers writing an open letter to the Welsh government last year, urging it to exclude glass from its scheme due to the costs and challenges this could cause to businesses.

The British Retail Consortium, The Food and Drink Federation, The Association of Convenience Stores and The Industry Council for Packaging and Environment have labelled the decision by the Welsh government as “extremely disappointing”.

They said in a joint statement: “With industry preparing to invest billions in a UK wide DRS system, on top of new costs arising from the Chancellor’s budget, it is essential that any approach to DRS is aligned across all four nations and delivers improved recycling rates and a reduction in litter across the UK.

“Today’s announcement will only increase uncertainty for the scheme and cause confusion among consumers, who may feel cheated by their inability to redeem a deposit and perplexed by the inconsistent approaches just a few miles across the border.

“Industry will need time to understand the full implications and will need to see the full detail of Welsh government’s approach. However, it seems highly likely this announcement and the uncertainty it brings will make the already very challenging 2027 implementation deadline even harder to deliver for England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.”