Two of Europe’s leading beverage industry associations, Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) and UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, have jointly launched the Deposit Return System (DRS) Playbook, a strategic guide designed to help drink producers, bottlers, and retailers navigate upcoming EU-wide packaging legislation.
With mandatory DRS implementation deadlines approaching across multiple member states, the Playbook offers a practical framework for designing and operating effective systems that support circularity, safeguard product integrity, and maintain consumer trust.
For drink industry professionals, the Playbook consolidates best practices, operational insights, and policy guidance to ensure that beverage packaging — particularly PET bottles and cans — is collected efficiently and returned to the production cycle.
The DRS Playbook is tailored to the needs of the beverage sector. It addresses key challenges such as:
- Preserving food-grade quality for recycled PE
- Ensuring high return rates through consumer-friendly system
- Aligning with EU targets for packaging collection and reuse
- Minimising disruption to existing supply chains and retail operations.
The Playbook also highlights the importance of producer-led systems — where beverage companies retain control over the design and operation of DRS infrastructure. This approach is seen as essential for maintaining material quality and ensuring that recycled content can be safely reused in new beverage containers.
“This Playbook is a call to action,” said a spokesperson from UNESDA. “It’s about empowering the beverage industry to lead on circularity — not just comply with it.”
The document includes case studies from existing DRS implementations, technical recommendations for system design, and guidance on stakeholder engagement, including retailers, logistics providers, and consumers.
The DRS Playbook is now available to industry stakeholders and will be supported by a series of workshops and webinars in the lead-up to key legislative deadlines.
