Brussels, 22/09/2025 – Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) and UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe proudly launch the ‘DRS Playbook: Everything you need to know about developing, financing and operating Deposit Return Schemes’. This comprehensive guide, commissioned from OLHC Consultants, is designed to support the implementation of effective Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) across Europe.
This Playbook arrives at a pivotal moment in the European packaging landscape. With the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) recently approved and with more Member States in the process of considering, implementing or redesigning DRS, the Playbook provides a practical, experience-based guide to creating effective collection systems for the environment, consumers and the beverage industry. The development of DRS has been ongoing for several years. When designed and implemented well, DRS can significantly improve the quality and quantity of beverage packaging recycling.
‘There can be no one-size-fits-all for DRS. Every system will need to take into account the country’s specific context. But with this Playbook, we hope to provide the essential ingredients to build effective schemes. By working together and sharing key learnings and best practices, we can build solutions which will deliver circularity for beverage packaging across Europe’, said Patricia Fosselard, Secretary General of NMWE.
‘We are excited to release this playbook. It is a major collaborative effort bringing together our extensive expertise in DRS engagement with one clear goal: to inspire and guide stakeholders in making new DRS work effectively across Europe. This is an important step in our own circularity actions and helping the industry to accelerate progress toward a circular economy for beverage packaging’, adds Nicholas Hodac, Director General of UNESDA.
A practical resource rooted in experience
Drawing on industry knowledge, real-world case studies and policy analysis, the DRS Playbook reflects years of engagement with DRS across Europe. Aligning closely with the PPWR, it provides detailed guidance on:
- How to design an efficient and consumer-friendly system
- How to finance and ensure long-term sustainability
- How to operate systems that guarantee high return rates and clean, closed-loop recycling
The Playbook reaffirms the beverage sector’s commitment to closed-loop recycling, ensuring that bottles and cans are collected and recycled into new bottles and cans.
Context, collaboration and call for dialogue
The launch coincides with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU — Denmark is renowned for its high-performing DRS model. This political context provides the perfect opportunity to share expertise and promote harmonised progress at EU level.
We are happy to contribute to the discussion and support Member States in gradually improving their beverage packaging collection and recycling systems.
With the 2029 deadline set out in the Single-Use Plastics Directive for collecting 90% of plastic beverage bottles approaching, the DRS Playbook aims to support Member States in meeting — and potentially exceeding — these targets.
Read the DRS Playbook here.