DDRS Alliance and recycling tech firm Polytag announce decision to align and accelerate Digital DRS efforts

Not-for-profit company, DDRS Alliance, whose members include Circularity Solutions, Recycl3r, ACE UK, Tetra Pak and Valpak - and recycling tech firm, Polytag, have announced a collaboration to accelerate the development and adoption of Digital DRS in the UK.

As the launch date for a DRS in the UK is reportedly delayed further until 2028, the two organisations have pledged to leverage their experience and expertise to demonstrate the viability and convenience of a Digital DRS.

DDRS Alliance has also published a Digital DRS Charter, which is designed to ensure alignment across all major DRS stakeholders in the UK and beyond. It is hoped that all proponents and stakeholders will sign up to the principles outlined within it.

DDRS Alliance and Polytag both utilise GS1 Digital Link QR codes to facilitate a Digital DRS. GS1 forecasts that brands will begin replacing traditional product barcodes with two-dimensional smart QR codes from 2027.

These QR codes can be used as a tool to increase supply chain visibility, authenticate products for retailers, and extend the label for consumers, through additional features and benefits designed to engage consumers with rich, dynamic content and engage through loyalty and reward schemes.

Brands and retailers can also use the future proofed QR codes supplied by Polytag to operate a Digital DRS. The collaboration comes after several trials from the respective parties demonstrating both the technical readiness and consumer appeal of a Digital DRS. 

Last year, DDRS Alliance ran a 16-week trial in Brecon, Wales. The Scan Recycle Reward trial ran, for the first time, across an entire town with virtually all soft drinks retailers participating.

It demonstrated that consumers prefer a range of return options offered by Digital DRS, including kerbside returns. 1,500 users returned 19,000 containers with 58% being returned via kerbside collections.

For the first time, the public demonstrated a clear preference for having a choice of home-, community- and retail-based return options. 

Polytag ran a nationwide pilot demonstrating the Digital DRS process alongside Ocado Retail, boasting an 87% return rate for consumers that engaged with on-pack QR codes. In just 56 days, over 20,000 20p rewards were claimed by Ocado customers via their smartphones.

The scheme also enabled the online retailer real-time insights into where, when, and how much of its two- and four-litre HDPE milk bottles were being recycled – tracking packaging from point of label manufacture through to recycling centre at barcode level.

DDRS Alliance is currently planning a follow-up urban trial which will feature, for the first time, Polytag’s tech running alongside that used in the Brecon trial.

Duncan Midwood, Co-founder, DDRS Alliance, says: “Deposit Return Schemes have demonstrated across Europe that consumers respond to a financial incentive to return drink containers for recycling. Digital DRS brings the solution to the modern day by providing consumers with a more convenient solution mirroring their lifestyles.”

“DDRS Alliance is uniquely positioned to coordinate the development of Digital DRS ensuring tech companies, such as Polytag, can deliver their solutions within a well-defined and standardised framework.”

“We are excited about working more closely with Polytag and hope DRS stakeholders across the world will sign up to the Digital DRS Charter and join us.”

Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, comments: “Countries across Europe, like Serbia and Spain, are already seeing and reaping the benefits of digitally supported recycling systems. It is high time that more nations, including the UK, do the same.”

“Our collaboration with DDRS Alliance will ensure we can strengthen our position and continue to demonstrate why a digital scheme will be better for brands, retailers, government, consumers and the environment.”

“We will integrate our scalable, practical, and above all, ready-to-deploy solution into existing infrastructure across the UK and further afield.”