With the UK's Deposit Return Scheme now less than 20 months from going live, Exchange for Change has published the mandatory rules for how its logo must appear on drinks packaging and appointed five senior leaders to its executive team.

The logo guidance sets out how drinks producers must display the DRS logo on their packaging. From 1 October 2027, the DRS logo must appear on every PET plastic bottle and aluminium and steel can covered by the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The requirements cover minimum and maximum sizing, clear space rules, colour formats and orientation options, and confirm that the DRS logo can sit alongside or replace existing on-pack recycling labels at the producer's discretion.

"The scheme logo is visual shorthand for how the deposit return scheme works. From October next year, people will see this icon on every in-scope bottle and can across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland," commented Russell Davies, CEO of Exchange for Change. "Publishing the approved Regulatory Requirements gives drinks producers the clarity they need to plan artwork cycles and packaging updates with confidence."

The logo itself was unveiled in January 2026 depicting bottles and cans transforming into coins - though in practice users will probably not get change and instead receive refundable vouchers from reverse vending machines.

Delivery plan

The five appointments just announced cover key functions for Exchange for Change spanning operations, corporate affairs, legal, people and technology.

Andrew Smith becomes chief operating officer following a career to date spanning consumer goods, supply chain, logistics and waste management, with senior roles at Diageo, ABF, BBC, IHG, Centrica and Reconomy Group. Smith will lead operational planning and end-to-end delivery for the DRS, overseeing systems, logistics, infrastructure partners and procurement.

Kate McFerran joins as corporate affairs director from a background in regulated industries. She has previously worked at Veolia, the Federation of Master Builders and LNER, and consulted for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. McFerran will lead government affairs, industry engagement, media and communications.

They are joined by Rehan Akram, who takes on the legal director role, to handle regulatory compliance, governance and commercial contracting; Henrik Malmquist, the new people director, who has a background in scaling FMCG businesses and building people and HR functions. And Trevor Gordon, appointed chief information officer, who arrives from Save the Children where he was chief digital and technology officer, having previously led technology programmes at Diageo, Sodexo, Vodafone, Vue Entertainment, Selfridges and Autotrader.

"More than 50 deposit return schemes already operate around the world, with another 20 due to launch in the next three years, and in October next year we will launch the world's biggest DRS right here in the UK," Davies said. "Delivery is now our priority."

Exchange for Change, the trading name of the UK Deposit Management Organisation, was appointed as the DRS scheme operator in May 2025. The scheme covers drinks containers made from PET plastic, steel and aluminium between 150ml and three litres, with collection targets phased from 70 per cent in 2028 to 80 per cent in 2029, reaching 90 per cent by the end of 2030.

The organisation has also applied to manage the deposit return scheme planned for Wales, which plans to align its launch with October 2027 but will run a separate scheme to include glass containers as well.