Anita Maric / SWNS
Emily Clarke, a badminton player and SOGB athlete standing next to Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) at Recyclever's site in Stoke on Trent.
Visitors to this year's Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) National Summer Games in Birmingham will take part in a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) trial to help make the UK's future scheme more accessible.
Taking place between 27-30 August at Alexander Stadium, the trial will test how people use Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and respond to DRS messaging. By involving people of all abilities, including those with intellectual (learning) disabilities, the partners aim to identify barriers and learn how the scheme can work better for everyone before it launches across the UK in 2027.
Delivered by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), Exchange for Change and Special Olympics GB, the trial will see hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities, alongside thousands of spectators, volunteers and supporters, interact with the machines in a real-world environment.
During the Games, Exchange for Change will conduct research to gather direct feedback from athletes, as well as carers, supporters and visitors, to understand how clearly the machines, instructions and DRS messaging are understood, where barriers exist and what changes could make the scheme more accessible and inclusive.
Its findings will identify 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. The machines will be supplied by Recyclever and Sielaff, helping to encourage participation while supporting the charity's work.
Ahead of the Games, a consultation also took place with Special Olympics GB athlete leaders to shape the trial’s artwork and instructions, including Emily Clarke, who is a Special Olympics GB Athlete Leader who competes in badminton.
The trial builds on the partnership group’s wider work to make recycling easier and follows previous research into reverse vending technology by CCEP and Exchange for Change.
Jo Padwick, Senior Sustainability Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said: "The best way to design an effective Deposit Return Scheme is to listen to the people who will use it. This trial gives us a chance to see how people use Reverse Vending Machines during a busy event, understand what works well and what could work better, and use those learnings to help shape a more accessible scheme when it launches in 2027.”
Laura Baxter MBE, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “People with intellectual disabilities are too often overlooked when services and systems are designed, then expected to adapt to something that was never created with them in mind. This trial turns that approach on its head. Our athletes will be helping to test and shape a scheme that millions of people will use. That is inclusion in action: recognising people with intellectual disabilities not simply as participants, but as experts whose experiences and ideas can make things work better for everyone.”
Russell Davies, Exchange for Change CEO, said: "We're committed to ensuring the Deposit Return Scheme is designed to be accessible for everyone from day one, helping deliver improvements in recycling and reducing litter in communities. This trial gives us the opportunity to learn how people interact with Reverse Vending Machines in a real-world environment and gather valuable insights that will help inform future accessibility guidance.
"Working with Special Olympics GB allows us to hear directly from people with a wide range of lived experiences, helping ensure inclusion is embedded in the rollout of DRS across the UK."
The Special Olympics GB National Summer Games is the nation’s biggest inclusive sporting event of 2026, with more than 1,200 athletes with intellectual disabilities competing in 15 sports at venues across England, Scotland and Wales. Staged for the first time since 2017, and with Coca-Cola the Headline Sponsor, the Games programme culminates in a four-day multi-sport event in Birmingham from 27–30 August. Click here for tickets and further details.