Wales will press ahead with its own deposit return scheme as it looks to include glass bottles, the Welsh government has announced.
Talks had been ongoing between the UK government and the devolved administrations to establish the schemes in conjunction with one another.
Under the plan, which has already been introduced in several European countries, customers receive some money back for returning empty bottles.
The Welsh government had always maintained its intention was to include glass bottles as part of the scheme.
But the previous UK Conservative government ruled that glass could not be included due to the Internal Market Act 2020.
The aim of the act was to prevent internal trade barriers within the UK.
The Scottish government’s scheme was delayed until at least October 2025 as a result, with then first minister Humza Yousaf warning the UK government was “in danger of sinking this scheme in its entirety”.
Due to the position “inherited” by the Labour UK government, the Welsh government announced on Monday it would now press ahead with its own plan.
All four governments had previously issued a joint policy statement to facilitate “interoperable schemes across the UK”.
It said the Deposit Return Schemes in each nation would be launched in October 2027, but the revised scheme is now not expected to be launched in Wales until a later date.
Deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who holds responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, said the Welsh government had been “working to initiate a joint process” with the UK’s other governments.
But he said it had “not been possible to address the issues” caused by the act “in the time available”.
“This unfortunately means that we are not able to proceed with the joint process or notify the WTO (World Trade Organisation) in relation to the scheme at this point,” he added.
The Welsh Conservatives, the Senedd‘s largest opposition group, said cooperation between the Labour governments in Cardiff and Westminster had “fallen apart”.
Shadow climate change minister, Janet Finch-Saunders, raised concerns about different schemes on either side of the border with England and said it was “essential” the scheme was the same.
“Welsh Labour need to reconsider their decision and honour the agreement they made with the four UK nations,” she added.
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Last year, over 60 retailers wrote an open letter to the Welsh government, calling on it to exclude glass from its scheme, in line with the rest of the UK.
The government says it is committed to a scheme “which will deliver for Wales” and will continue its engagement with stakeholders.