The Welsh government has insisted the rest of the UK will eventually follow its plan to include glass in the rollout of its deposit return scheme.
In an interview with The Grocer, Welsh deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it was working with drinks companies “large and small” on a new reuse model for glass and other materials which would act as a pilot for the rest of the UK.
Irranca-Davies also insisted Wales was working with the other UK countries, which plan to exclude glass from the scheme, to ensure a joined-up rollout in October 2027.
However, officials confirmed Wales does plan to include glass from day one.
Last month The Grocer revealed the Welsh government had defied a threat of legal action from Westminster by notifying the World Trade Organization of its intention to push ahead with a deposit return scheme including the material.
Previously, Welsh ministers said they were blocked from notifying the WTO because of the powers held by the UK government under the UK Internal Market Act, which was one of the deciding factors in the collapse of the previous plan in Scotland.
Wales has said that whilst single-use glass will be collected, no deposits will be applied initially to allow a grace period, which avoids the need for immediate changes to labelling, production, or distribution systems.
Suppliers and retailers have claimed Wales’ proposals would lead to huge extra expense for shops to install machines capable of taking glass from day one, and have said that without a deposit there will be no incentive for consumers to return bottles to stores.
Irranca-Davies told The Grocer: “So on day one we’ll align with the scheme that’s being brought in in the other three nations.
“And with our [reuse] pilot we will work with the industry so we have a significant chunk of Wales involved in that pilot.
“We have big and small suppliers working with us across the supply chain on that pilot, and as each year goes by we will extend it deeper and deeper.”
He added: “Wales will do what it’s always done on DRS: we will show leadership and we roll out reuse across Wales, but we will do it by working with other governments.
“We know that, and this is a message for everybody that reads the pages of The Grocer, ultimately every nation in the UK is going to be doing DRS reuse.”
A Welsh government spokesman said: “Wales’ DRS will be in place by 1 October 2027 and glass will be part of the scheme from day one.
“For reuseable drinks containers, these will be phased Wales-wide following a large-scale reuse trial which will build on the DRS trials that we have already undertaken in Wales.”
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