Shoppers across the UK will be charged the fee from Oct 1 2027 in an effort to boost recycling rates and reduce littering. However, retailers said Wales risks being left without a functioning scheme unless Welsh ministers urgently appoint an administrator to take charge of the programme. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all picked the non-profit Exchange for Change to run the Deposit Return Scheme. Supermarkets have complained that introducing the recycling scheme will make it harder for them to keep prices down for customers. "Smaller suppliers and producers are particularly exposed to additional complexity and cost, which could make supplying the Welsh market less commercially viable," Ms Dickinson wrote.