The question
From October 2027, every time someone in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland buys a drink in a single‑use plastic or metal container, they will see a small logo on the packaging: Exchange For Change.
It is more than a piece of graphic design. It is:
The public‑facing name of the UK Deposit Management Organisation (UK DMO).
The visual key that tells people “this container carries a deposit”.
The identifier that links consumers, retailers, producers and Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) into a single system for many years to come.
So what does this really mean in practical terms – and why is the logo so important for the long‑term success of the UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)?
The direct answer
The Exchange For Change logo is the permanent “anchor point” of the UK DRS:
It will appear on every in‑scope container – PET plastic, aluminium and steel drinks containers between 150 ml and 3 litres – that carries a deposit under UK DRS rules.
It will also appear on – or next to – official return points, so the public instantly know where to take their empties and get their money back.
Launched in January 2026, almost two years before the October 2027 go‑live, the logo and name are designed to:
Give a clear, simple language for the public (“I’m taking these to Exchange For Change”).
Help drinks producers and retailers redesign labels and pack formats in good time.
Provide long‑term certainty for technology providers such as Recyclever, whose RVMs must recognise and securely process containers bearing this mark.
Over time, the logo becomes what matters most: not the announcement date, but the fact that “if it has the Exchange For Change icon, you pay a deposit when you buy it – and you get that deposit back when you return it correctly.”
What Exchange For Change actually is
Legally, Exchange For Change is the trading name of the UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd – the business‑led, not‑for‑profit company appointed to:
Design, deliver and operate the DRS for single‑use plastic and metal drinks containers across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Achieve return‑rate targets phased from 70% to 80% to 90% by 2030.
Handle the flows of:
Money (deposits, refunds, handling fees, producer fees).
Data (sales, returns, counting‑centre outputs).
Material (collected PET, aluminium, steel).
The new icon – bottles and cans transforming into coins – is deliberately simple: it tells the story in one glance.
What matters for the long term is that this symbol becomes:
The single identifier of in‑scope containers.
The badge of trust on official return points.
A shared language across all stakeholder groups.
Why the logo matters more than the launch announcement
The fact that the logo was revealed in January 2026 is, in itself, a milestone. But what gives it perennial value is what it will mean day in, day out, for years after October 2027:
For consumers:
“If I see Exchange For Change on a bottle or can, I know I’ve paid a deposit.”
“If I see the same icon on a machine or sign, I know I can get my money back there.”
For retailers:
“Every product with that logo triggers our DRS obligations.”
“Our RVMs and tills must reliably recognise and refund those containers.”
For producers and packers:
“Our packaging and barcodes must comply with the scheme if we use the logo.”
“We need to plan label changes, multipack formats and logistics around that mark.”
For RVM suppliers and technology partners:
“Our machines must securely accept and process Exchange For Change containers – and reject everything else.”
The logo is not just a branding exercise. It is the visual contract between the public, industry and the scheme.
How the logo fits into the deposit–refund journey
From October 2027 onwards, the Exchange For Change mark will guide a simple loop:
Purchase
A customer buys a drink in a container bearing the Exchange For Change logo.
They pay the drink price plus a deposit (the exact amount will be set closer to launch).
Consumption and storage
The customer consumes the drink, keeps the empty container and recognises the logo as a reminder:
“This isn’t just waste; it’s worth money back.”
Return
The customer takes the empty container to a return point:
A Reverse Vending Machine in a supermarket, discounter or convenience store.
In some cases, other authorised collection points.
The return point also displays the Exchange For Change icon so it is easy to locate.
Refund
The container is accepted, recorded and sorted.
The customer receives their deposit back:
As a cash refund, where cash is accepted, or
As a voucher/credit at the till.
Settlement and recycling
The retailer reports the return data to Exchange For Change.
The material is collected, counted, reconciled and recycled.
Financial settlements between the retailer, producers and the scheme follow.
At every step, the logo is the constant: the mark on the container and the mark on the return point that guarantees participation in the system.
The stakeholder ecosystem behind the icon
The success of Exchange For Change depends on coordinated action across several groups:
The public
Pay the deposit when buying in‑scope drinks.
Get the deposit back when returning empties at authorised return points (often via RVMs).
Over time, shift habits so that “returning with Exchange For Change” becomes automatic.
Beverage producers and brand owners
Register with Exchange For Change and comply with labelling and data requirements.
Design packaging that carries the logo correctly and works in automated systems.
Pay producer fees and manage their obligations under EPR and DRS rules.
Wholesalers and distributors
Ensure that scheme‑compliant products move cleanly through the supply chain.
Support labelling and logistics changes, especially for multipacks and on‑trade channels.
Retailers
Act as the main public‑facing return points under the return‑to‑retail model.
Charge the deposit at point of sale and operate RVMs or other authorised collection infrastructure.
Provide clear in‑store communication around the logo, deposit amounts and return options.
Report sales and returns data to Exchange For Change and participate in settlement.
Exchange For Change (UK DMO)
Set and run the system rules.
Ensure collection‑rate targets (70%, 80%, 90%) are met while maintaining financial stability.
Oversee data integrity, fraud prevention and counting‑centre operations.
Keep the public and industry informed as the scheme evolves.
Technology providers – including Recyclever
Supply and maintain RVMs that can reliably recognise and process Exchange For Change containers.
Provide fleet‑management portals and integrations that deliver the necessary data and auditability.
Innovate on user experience, fraud prevention, media and loyalty integration.
Recyclever’s role: UK‑built RVMs designed for Exchange For Change
For the logo to work in practice, RVMs must do more than scan a barcode. They must ensure that only genuine, in‑scope Exchange For Change containers are accepted and refunded, while everything else is rejected.
Recyclever’s approach, as a UK‑based RVM manufacturer, is built around this requirement:
Made for UK conditions
Designed and built in the UK with local standards, store formats and service expectations in mind.
Footprints and door designs suitable for both convenience and large‑format stores.
Multi‑layer container validation
Read and validate the barcode against the official DRS drinks database provided via Exchange For Change.
Check:
Material (PET, aluminium, steel).
Weight (empty‑weight range).
Length and diameter.
Silhouette (overall shape and profile).
Movement patterns (detecting pull‑backs or manipulation).
Logo‑aligned acceptance logic
Only containers that conform to the scheme’s database and physical profiles – i.e. those legitimately carrying the Exchange For Change logo and associated data – are accepted and credited.
Containers without the logo, or that fail these checks, are politely rejected.
Anti‑fraud protection
Multiple safeguards against:
Cross‑border containers from non‑DRS markets.
Fake barcodes attached to foreign objects.
Re‑processing of already‑compacted containers.
Fishing‑line style attempts to “re‑use” the same container.
Ready for media and loyalty
Integrated media screens turn RVMs into high‑engagement communication and advertising points.
API connectivity to POS and loyalty platforms allows:
Deposit refunds via vouchers.
Optional loyalty rewards and partner campaigns on top of the statutory deposit.
In practice, that means Recyclever RVMs become part of the infrastructure that “makes the logo real”: if it’s Exchange For Change, the machine knows what to do – and if it isn’t, the machine knows to say “no”.
Why “Exchange For Change” will still matter years after go‑live
Long after October 2027, people are unlikely to remember the precise date the logo was first announced. What they will remember and use daily is:
The name: Exchange For Change.
The icon: bottles and cans turning into coins.
The promise:
“If I pay a deposit, I can get it back.”
“If I see that mark, I know this is part of the scheme.”
For retailers and technology providers, this is an opportunity as much as an obligation:
To align RVM infrastructure, store layouts and communications tightly to that symbol.
To build customer journeys that make Exchange For Change:
Fast.
Clean.
Trustworthy.
Integrated with loyalty and offers.
And for Recyclever, as a UK manufacturer of RVMs, it is the framework within which the company designs:
Machines that work technically and commercially under the scheme.
Solutions that help retailers not only comply with Exchange For Change, but turn it into a reason customers prefer their stores over others.
The logo is the shorthand. The real work – and the real long‑term value – comes from everything that sits behind it.
Further reading
If you want to understand how RVM technology fits into the Exchange For Change ecosystem – and what it means for your own estate – you can find more detail here:
Recyclever main site (overview of the company and its approach to DRS‑ready RVMs):
https://www.recyclever.com/Reverse Vending Machine models and applications (indoor, outdoor, convenience and large‑format use cases):
https://www.recyclever.com/reverse-vending-machines-applicationsTechnology and anti‑fraud features (how the machines recognise and securely process eligible containers):
https://www.recyclever.com/reverse-vending-machines
These pages go deeper into machine options, technical architecture and integration, and how Recyclever RVMs are designed to operate within the UK’s Exchange For Change deposit return scheme.