Find out everything you need to know to make a success of DRS – all in one day – at SLR’s new event in October.
October this year marks the 12-month countdown until the planned launch of the new Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland and across the UK and with it comes a world of opportunity for local retailers that get involved early and make the most of a unique chance to grow footfall, sales and profits.
The key is to view DRS through the lens of opportunity, rather than just through the lens of compliance.
Yes, DRS will bring its own challenges, but the Irish experience makes it clear that retailers who fully engage on day one and provide a great experience for their customers are the retailers who will benefit most from DRS.
Getting engaged on day one, however, means preparing for DRS in good time. To help you do just that, SLR is hosting a special one-day event to provide retailers with everything they need to know – and all in just one day.
- Date: 28 October 2026
- Venue: 200 SVS, Glasgow City Centre
- FREE to attend for all local retailers
Ahead of the game
Held on 28 October in Glasgow and with the support of Headline Partner Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), Success with DRS will arm you with the knowledge and advice you need to ensure that when October 2027 rolls around, you will be fully ready to take advantage of the many opportunities that will present themselves in terms of retaining and growing footfall, sales and profits – while also helping make a massive and instant positive impact on the fantastic environment that makes Scotland famous the world over.
Whether you are a knowledgeable veteran of DRS or you’ve never put much thought into it, Success with DRS will get you up to speed in a single day.
Stellar cast
Speakers on the day will include Jonathan Kemp, former Commercial Director of AG Barr and now Non-Executive Director of Exchange for Change, the scheme administrator.
A man who knows local retailing inside out, Kemp will detail the impressive progress made so far by Exchange for Change as well as outlining what remains to be done to ensure that the scheme is fully ready in time for its October 2027 debut. He will also detail precisely what local retailers in Scotland will need to do in order to make sure they are in a position to fully exploit the opportunity.
Also on stage will be Chris Furey, Director of Furey Smyth Retail, a family-owned independent Irish retail business that operates a network of community-based Eurospar stores across Ireland. Chris will share his first-hand experience of DRS since it was launched in Ireland on 1 February 2024.
He will also offer invaluable advice driven by the learnings his business has made during the launch of DRS and since.
Attendees will also hear from Scottish local retailers, wholesalers and suppliers discussing how the implementation of DRS affects their part of the supply chain and what that may mean for local retailers.
Panel sessions will take a deep dive into a number of real-world issues that are likely to face retailers in the run-up to the launch of DRS and beyond, and an open-floor Q&A session will allow attendees to pose any questions they have to the experts on the day.
We will also host a Dragon’s Den-style series of brief presentations by a range of solutions providers, offering attendees the chance to learn more about some of the key options available to them.
Session I
The Countdown Begins…
- Welcome and Introduction
Antony Begley, Publisher, SLR - The road to October 2027
Jonathan Kemp, Non-Executive Director, Exchange for Change
Session II
Supply Chain Perspectives
- Supplier Perspective
CCEP - Wholesaler Perspective
Chris Gallacher, Managing Director, United Wholesale Scotland
Panel Discussion
- Q&A Panel with morning speakers, chaired by Antony Begley
- Audience Q&A
Networking Lunch
Session III
Retailer Perspectives
- Q&A Panel with prominent Scottish local retailers, chaired by Antony Begley
Lessons from Ireland – Part 1
- The Irish Experience – Multisite Retailer
Chris Furey, Managing Director, Furey Smyth Group
Session IV
Solutions Session One
10-minute presentations followed by 5-minute audience Q&A per presentation.
- Envipco
- RVM Systems
- CMB RVM Systems
Lessons from Ireland – Part 2
- The Irish Experience – Single Site Retailer
Prominent single site Irish independent retailer
Solutions Session Two
10-minute presentations followed by 5-minute audience Q&A per presentation.
- Tomra
- Ecovend
- Trovr
Session V
- Open Forum Q&A
- Hands-on Solutions Demos
Taste and try
Having learned all that they need to know about DRS, attendees will also be able to see first-hand a selection of reverse vending machines and semi-automated manual handling systems from the UK’s leading suppliers:
- Envipco
- RVM Systems
- Tomra
- Carnaud MetalBox RVM Solutions
- Reborn/Trovr
- Reconomy
Representatives from each solution provider will be on hand to answer any questions you have about any aspect of DRS.
Armed and ready
Our aim is that by the time retailers leave, they will fully understand the Deposit Return Scheme and what it means for their business and will be well on the journey to finding the most appropriate solution for their business. All in one day.
Headline partner
Solutions partners
