Angry supermarket bosses have warned the labelling rules for the launch of the UK’s deposit return scheme risk causing mass shopper confusion at the shelf edge.
Retail leaders suggested consumers would be confronted with at least four different prices for products included in the scheme – and even more if they are part of loyalty card promotions.
Retailers said appeals for intervention from the government had so far fallen on deaf ears.
A source told The Grocer the regulations were “red tape madness” which risked turning the DRS launch into a farce.
Another said: “We need the government to step in now before it is too late.”
Current regulations, ahead of the planned launch of DRS in October next year, require retailers to display a deposit-inclusive price. However wider pricing rules and guidance dictate that the product price and deposit should be labelled separately on shelf, along with a per unit price.
The BRC told The Grocer that displaying multiple prices on shelf-edge labels would be difficult to implement across thousands of products, would overcrowd labels and risk mass confusion among consumers about what is the product price versus the refundable deposit.
It has urged the government to remove the requirement to display total price for DRS to simplify what’s displayed on shelf edge.
Naomi Brandon-Bravo, sustainability policy advisor at the BRC, said: “Consumers need a simple and clear way to understand prices once DRS is implemented.”
“Having an assortment of different prices on each product would help no one.
“Retailers need clear guidance on shelf-edge labels for in-scope drinks, and they need it as soon as possible. By kicking the can down the road, the government is creating an unnecessary headache for businesses.”
No comments yet