Wimbledon deposit return scheme pilot offers early insight into UK rollout

Danone's evian® brand, the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Exchange for Change are trialling reverse vending machines (RVMs) during this year's Wimbledon Championships Qualifying Competition to demonstrate how the UK's forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) could operate in a live event environment.

The pilot, taking place throughout the qualifying event at the Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre in Roehampton, allows spectators purchasing 75cl evian® plastic bottles to pay a 20p deposit at the point of sale. Empty bottles can then be returned to one of two reverse vending machines located on-site, with the packaging collected for recycling.

The initiative brings together the Official Water of The Championships, the event organisers and the UK's DRS deposit management organisation to assess how reverse vending technology performs ahead of the national introduction of the scheme next year.

All deposits collected during the trial are being donated to the Wimbledon Foundation, which supports a range of local and national community projects.

In addition to encouraging the collection and recycling of single-use bottles, the pilot is intended to provide operational and consumer insights that may help inform the wider rollout of the UK's Deposit Return Scheme.

While the Wimbledon trial focuses on PET plastic bottles returned via reverse vending machines, the national DRS will also cover aluminium and steel drinks cans between 150ml and 3 litres. The scheme will include additional return options, such as manual takeback, with the aim of increasing recycling rates and reducing litter.

As Danone celebrates the bicentenary of its iconic evian® brand, we continue to focus on offering healthy hydration in the most sustainable way. Circularity is a core commitment of our Impact Journey strategy, and we are proud to support The All England Lawn Tennis Club and Exchange for Change in delivering this first-of-its-kind pilot ahead of the UK Deposit Return Scheme’s national rollout next year.

This initiative allows us to gather tangible feedback to support retailers and Exchange for Change in preparing for DRS, while demonstrating how circular systems can work effectively in practice.

Hannah Cornick, Danone North Europe Sustainability and Social Impact Director.

The pilot builds on previous sustainability initiatives introduced through the long-standing partnership between evian® and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, including refill stations for spectators and players and the promotion of reusable bottles during The Championships. According to the organisations, around 40,000 bottle refills were dispensed during the 2025 Championships, while more than half of surveyed participants who used the refill scheme said they continued refilling their bottles after the event.