Visitors to the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games in Birmingham will take part in a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) trial designed to help make the UK’s future scheme more accessible.
Taking place at Alexander Stadium from 27-30 August, the trial will test how people use Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and respond to DRS messaging. The initiative is being delivered by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), Exchange for Change and Special Olympics GB.
Hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities, alongside thousands of spectators, volunteers and supporters, will interact with the machines during the event.
Exchange for Change will conduct research throughout the Games to gather feedback from athletes, carers, supporters and visitors. The research will assess how well machine instructions and DRS messaging are understood, identify any barriers to participation and highlight opportunities to improve accessibility before the scheme launches nationally in 2027.
CCEP will fund a 20p donation to Special Olympics GB for every eligible drinks container returned through the RVMs during the Games.
Ahead of the event, Special Olympics GB athlete leaders were consulted on the trial’s artwork and instructions, including badminton competitor and Athlete Leader Emily Clarke.
The trial builds on wider work by the partners to make recycling easier and follows previous research into reverse vending technology conducted by CCEP and Exchange for Change.
The Special Olympics GB National Summer Games is the UK’s largest inclusive sporting event of 2026, with more than 1,200 athletes with intellectual disabilities competing across 15 sports. The Games programme culminates in a four-day multi-sport event in Birmingham from 27-30 August, with Coca-Cola serving as headline sponsor.
