Deposit Return Scheme Labels: What Happens to Old Stock?

What happens to the drinks labels sitting in your stores on 1 October 2027? That’s the day the deposit return scheme goes live in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. From then, every in-scope PET bottle and drinks can must carry the scheme logo and a new, registered barcode. At Positive ID Labels we’ve read the small print. Here’s what changes, and how to avoid binning good stock.

What the Deposit Return Scheme Means for Your Labels

The scheme covers single-use bottles and cans made of PET, aluminium or steel, holding 150ml to 3 litres. Water, soft drinks, beer, cider and spirits are all caught. Shoppers pay a 20p deposit and get it back on return.

In England and Northern Ireland, a supplier must not sell a deposit item unless it carries the scheme logo and a scheme return code. Scotland has its own regulations with the same launch date.

Deposit Return Scheme Rules for Existing Stock

Exchange for Change, which runs the scheme, published transition rules on 30 September 2026: Exchange for Change transition update]. They split stock into three groups:

• Filled before 1 October 2027: out of scope. No logo, registration, fee or deposit needed. You can keep selling it, ideally by April 2028.
• Empty containers or labels with no pre-launch order: without the logo and a registered barcode, they can’t be filled and sold after launch.
• Packaging tied to pre-launch orders: flexibility is being discussed with regulators. Nothing is agreed.

The message is simple. Old-artwork labels still on the shelf at launch are likely to become waste.

What Changes on a Deposit Return Scheme Label

Every in-scope container needs two new elements, plus some layout rules:

• The scheme logo. One DRS logo per container, single colour (black or white preferred), with 1mm clear space. It can sit alongside or replace the OPRL mark.
• A new barcode. Exchange for Change says all existing product barcodes must change. Use EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A or UPC-E, register it on the scheme’s Article List, and keep it readable at Grade 1.5 for the life of the pack.
• Placement. Bottle barcodes go on the main label, not the neck. On cans, keep it at least 8mm above the base.
• Multipacks. Each container needs its own barcode, and the outer pack must use a different one.

Bottle labels and sleeves should also aim to cover less than half the surface.

Deposit Return Scheme Dates for Your Diary

• January 2027: Phase 2 producer registration opens
• 9 July 2027: deadline to register existing products
• 1 October 2027: scheme goes live
• April 2028: suggested sell-through date for pre-launch stock
• 30 September 2031: Welsh glass transition ends
• Register for DRS Here

How to Plan Your Label Changeover

Timing is everything. Order too many old labels and you pay for waste. Switch too late and you can’t fill.

1. List every in-scope product and check for low-volume lines (no more than 5,000 units a year, or 6,250 in the first 15 months).
2. Allocate new barcodes early, ready for the 9 July 2027 deadline.
3. Work out your final pre-launch fill date, then size your last old-artwork run to match.
4. Proof new artwork for logo size, clear space and barcode position.
5. Keep export-only products separate. They must not carry the UK logo or a DRS barcode.

Wales has its own regulations. Glass is in scope there, but needs no deposit or DRS labelling until 30 September 2031. Welsh transition rules for bottles and cans are still to come.

You can download our action guide to help you prepare for the UK deposit return scheme

How Positive ID Labels Can Help

We print labels for breweries, cideries, distillers and soft drinks brands. Our digital presses make short runs and several artwork versions practical. Our Xeikon prints at 1200dpi and our Screen UV inkjet at 600dpi, so barcodes come out sharp. Digital orders typically leave us in 3 to 5 working days.

Drinks live in fridges, ice buckets and crates. White polypropylene resists moisture, and a varnish or laminate protects against scuffing in transit, helping your barcode stay readable to the return point.

We can also set up usage-based reorder reminders, so old stock runs down without running out. Every quote is a fixed price.

Planning your switchover? Call 01332 864895 or use our enquiry form [link: contact form].

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still sell drinks with old labels after 1 October 2027?

Yes, if they were filled before that date. They’re out of scope and can still be sold. Sell-through by April 2028 is encouraged, but it’s guidance, not law.

Can I use up old labels after the scheme starts?

Not on new fills, unless the packaging is tied to a pre-launch order and regulators agree to flexibility. That isn’t agreed, so plan as if you can’t.

Do I need a new barcode for DRS products?

Yes. All existing barcodes on in-scope products must change. Existing products must be registered on the Article List by 9 July 2027.

Can I put a sticker over my old labels?

Only by exception. Self-adhesive logo or barcode labels need prior approval from Exchange for Change. Treat this as a contingency, not a plan.

Where should the barcode go on a labelled can?

On the side, at least 8mm up from the base, ideally in a vertical ladder orientation.

Does the scheme apply to glass bottles?

Not in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland. In Wales it does, but with a 0p deposit and no DRS labelling until 30 September 2031.

Are small producers exempt?

Lines of up to 5,000 units a year don’t need the logo, barcode or producer fee, but must still register and report volumes.

Do multipacks need the scheme logo?

Each container inside needs its own logo and barcode, and the outer pack a different barcode. A multipack logo applies only if Exchange for Change issues one.

How quickly can you print new DRS labels?

Digital orders typically leave us in 3 to 5 working days, flexo in 7 to 10. Tight deadline? Call 01332 864895 and we’ll tell you honestly what we can do.

Sources

• Exchange for Change, Deposit Return Scheme: update on transition arrangements (30 September 2026): https://exchangeforchange.co.uk/news/deposit-return-scheme-update-on-transition-arrangements/
• Exchange for Change, Material Specification v6 (June 2026): https://exchangeforchange.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Exchange-for-Change-Material-Specification-FINAL-v6-June-2026.pdf
• Exchange for Change, Logo Regulatory Requirements (February 2026): https://exchangeforchange.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Logo_Guidance_Industry_Final.pdf
• Exchange for Change, FAQs: https://exchangeforchange.co.uk/faqs/
• The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/67/contents/made
• The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (Wales) Regulations 2026: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2026/103/contents/made

Last checked: 12 October 2026