Store manager pack
What the scheme is, your duties, the exemption quick check, how to measure your floor, money and grants, and a launch checklist.
In the DRS Ready PackEngland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Live 1 October 2027
Get your shop ready for the 20p bottle deposit
CheersEmpties helps independent convenience stores work out whether they must take empties back, what it will cost, which grants and exemptions apply, and what to do next. Plain English, free to use, and every fact links to its source.
In short: From 1 October 2027, shops across the UK charge a 20p deposit on drinks in single-use plastic bottles and cans (150 ml to 3 litres) and refund it when the empty comes back. Convenience stores must take empties back unless exempt: urban shops under 100 sq m are exempt automatically, and others can apply. Shops that take empties back earn a handling fee of 3p per empty by hand or 5p by machine (first 225,000 a year, then 1.3p). Small independents may get a £6,000 machine grant. Exchange for Change runs the scheme. Check your shop
Independent: not linked to any supplier Sources on every fact Takes about 2 minutes
Timeline
The road to 1 October 2027
- Sep 2026Phase 1 registration open
- Jan 2027Phase 2 registration; first grant rounds proposed
- Early 2027Notice for exempt shops issued
- 1 Oct 2027Scheme goes live: 20p deposit, take-back starts
- 30 Sep 2031Wales: 0p deposit on glass until this date
Sources: E4C registration, E4C grants, Welsh Government, All key dates Last checked: 12 Oct 2026
What's changed recently
- Registration is openPhase 1 opened on 29 September 2026; Phase 2 follows in January 2027. Shops that aren't automatically exempt must register. E4C
- Grant rules published3 or fewer shops; rural under 200 sq m or urban 100-199 sq m; windows from January 2027. Details
- Wales joins inExchange for Change will run the scheme in all four UK nations. Wales has its own rules on glass. E4C, Aug 2026
- Collectors namedFive recycling firms will collect your bags, region by region. Who covers you
Free checker
Will the deposit scheme cost your shop money?
Answer a few questions to see whether you're exempt, can apply to be, or must take empties back, plus a rough idea of the money and whether you might get a machine grant.
Deposit: 20p per bottle or can. Exchange for Change Multipacks carry 20p per container. Last checked: 12 Oct 2026
Your shop
Postcode lookup uses postcodes.io. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains NRS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Guidance only: Exchange for Change decides each shop's status.
Staff training video
See it in action
Watch Sam and Mia run the 10-second check at a corner-shop till. About two minutes, free.
Watch the training video
Guides
Everything a shop owner needs, in one place
Short, sourced guides based on Exchange for Change's published rules, written for the person running the shop.
Grants & exemptions
Who's exempt, how to apply on size, proximity or premises grounds, and who can get the £6,000 machine grant.
Read the guideYour obligations
Registering, taking empties back, refunds, storage, collections, fees and the notices you must display.
See what you must doStaff training
Seven short lessons for the person at the till, a quick quiz and a printable till card.
Start trainingEquipment
By hand or with a machine: what you need, what certified machines must do, and how to get quotes.
Compare optionsNews & key dates
Registration phases, grant windows, launch day and the latest from Exchange for Change.
See the timelineFAQ
Straight answers to what shop owners ask, with what's confirmed and what isn't yet.
Read the FAQWhat to do now
Your next six steps
- Measure your sales floor the way Exchange for Change defines it, and keep a note of how you did it. E4C criteria, p.4-5
- Check whether you're urban or rural with E4C's postcode lookup.
- Register now (Phase 1) unless you're automatically exempt. That includes shops planning to apply for an exemption. You'll need your company number (if any), addresses, contact details and premises details. How to register
- Decide: by hand or a machine. If you might want a machine, check the grant rules; windows are proposed from January 2027 and you'll need proof of order before launch. Only buy a certified machine. Don't sign long contracts in a hurry. When Scotland's scheme was cancelled in 2023, shops were left with machine contracts of nearly £4,000 a year. BBC
- Plan storage for full bags waiting for collection, and where customers will hand over empties.
- Train your staff on what to accept, refuse and refund. Staff training
Could the start date move?
On 19 August 2026, SIBA (the Society of Independent Brewers) asked ministers to delay the scheme for at least a year. SIBA Exchange for Change is still working to 1 October 2027, and its site shows no delay. Check the latest news before you spend money on equipment. Last checked: 12 Oct 2026
You stay in control. Exchange for Change decides exemptions and grants. You register and apply yourself; we never apply on your behalf or hold your login.
Downloads
Print-ready info packs
Print-ready A4 packs that use the same sourced facts as this site, last checked 11 Oct 2026. They come with the paid DRS Ready Pack (£29 per shop, one-off). Payments aren't switched on yet. The one-page explainer (PDF) is free to download now.
Staff awareness sheet
Keep it by the till: what to accept or refuse, how to refund the 20p, bagging and labelling, and never handing bags over without official ID.
In the DRS Ready Pack
Board-level pack
For owners, multi-site operators, symbol groups and wholesalers: the numbers, the risks, and the decisions to take before the January 2027 grant window.
In the DRS Ready PackNot legal or financial advice. The packs paraphrase and link to Exchange for Change and GOV.UK guidance; they don't reproduce their documents or logos.
Waitlist
Get early access to CheersEmpties
We're planning two things for shop owners. Nothing is on sale yet. Early access opens soon.
- CheersEmpties, about £9/month planned price: log every empty you take back, check what the scheme pays you against your own count, and get help disputing gaps. Get reminders for collections, grant payments and exemption renewals.
- Early-bird exemption pack price to be set: we prepare your evidence (floor plan, photos, nearby return points) ready for when applications open. You submit it yourself on your own Exchange for Change account.
- DRS Ready Pack, £29 per shop or £99 multi-site planned price: the store manager pack, the board pack, an editable staff sheet and a team briefing, in one zip file.
Coming soon
The waitlist isn't open yet. To hear more now, email hello@cheersempties.co.uk.
About & contact
About CheersEmpties
At CheersEmpties we help independent UK convenience stores get ready for the drinks deposit return scheme. We turn the official rules into plain English, link every fact to its source, and build simple tools for the counter: the checker on this page, free info packs, and a scanner app we're testing now.
We're independent. We're not part of Exchange for Change or any government, and no equipment supplier pays us.
Contact: hello@cheersempties.co.uk
Guidance, not official advice. Figures are rough, and the rules may change before 1 October 2027. Exchange for Change, the not-for-profit body running the scheme, decides exemptions and grants. CheersEmpties is independent and isn't affiliated with Exchange for Change.
Sources used across this site: E4C resources, E4C FAQ, ACS shop guide, machine prices, ACS machine cost modelling, GOV.UK
Common questions
When does the deposit return scheme start?
On 1 October 2027, in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. From that day shops charge the deposit and take empties back. In August 2026 the brewers' body SIBA asked for a delay of at least a year, but Exchange for Change is still working to 1 October 2027.
Sources: E4C transition update, SIBA, All key dates
How much is the deposit?
20p on every in-scope container, whatever its size. Multipacks carry 20p per container, so a pack of six cans carries £1.20 in deposits. The customer gets the 20p back when they return the empty.
Sources: E4C, 20p deposit, E4C FAQ
Am I exempt from taking empties back?
Urban shops under 100 sq m are exempt automatically. Urban shops of 100-199 sq m and rural shops under 200 sq m can apply for an exemption on size. Other shops can apply on proximity to another return point, or on premises grounds in exceptional cases. Exchange for Change decides each application.
Sources: E4C exemption criteria, Use the checker
Is CheersEmpties part of Exchange for Change?
No. CheersEmpties is independent. Exchange for Change runs the scheme and makes every decision on registration, exemptions and grants. We summarise its published rules in our own words and link to the originals.
Get ready for DRS
Register interest and we will tell you when new tools and training land. Not legal advice.