Workplace Drinks Changes 2027: Energy Drink Ban and Deposit Return Scheme

The two changes at a glance

Two dates, six months apart. Both affect every workplace in England with a drinks vending machine.

• Expected 6 April 2027

  High-caffeine energy drinks leave vending machines

  Selling energy drinks with more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre to under-16s becomes illegal in England. In vending machines the ban is total: these drinks can't be sold from any machine, whoever is buying, including machines in warehouses, factories and offices.

  The site is responsible. The person who controls or manages the premises where the machine sits is liable for any sales, in the same way as tobacco vending.

• From 1 October 2027

  A 20p deposit on bottles and cans

  The Deposit Return Scheme adds a refundable 20p deposit to single-use plastic (PET) bottles and aluminium and steel cans from 150 ml to 3 litres. Staff get the 20p back when they return the empty container to a return point.

  It is a deposit, not a tax, but it does raise the price at the point of sale. A drink that costs £2.10 today is likely to cost around £2.30.

The facts in detail

Checked on 12 November 2026. The energy drink rules still need approval by Parliament, so dates may move. We'll update this page if they do.

What it could mean for your site

The rules are aimed at protecting children, but most vending machines are in adult workplaces, so employers will feel the effects too.

• Shift workers lose a staple

  On many industrial sites, energy drinks are among the best-selling items in the drinks machine. Night and physical shifts will notice first.

• More trips off site

  If staff can't buy what they want on site, some will leave at break to get it. That can mean more movements at the gate and in the car park, and more late returns.

• Higher prices at the machine

  From October, every bottle and can carries a 20p deposit. Staff get it back only if they return the container.

• Your site carries the risk

  For the energy drink ban, liability sits with whoever controls the premises, not only the vending company. It's worth confirming now what is in every machine on your site.

• Empties become valuable

  Each container is worth 20p. Think about where staff will return them, and how you stop bins being picked through.

• Staff will ask questions

  People blame whoever changed the machine. A short, clear notice to staff before April avoids frustration.

Your options, from free to fully managed

We're a supplier, so we'll be upfront: several of these steps cost you nothing and don't need us at all.

1. Check what is in your machines now. Ask your vending supplier which products are over 150 mg caffeine per litre and when they will come out. If you run your own machine, check the labels.
2. Tell your staff early. Explain that the change is the law, not a site decision, and what will replace those drinks.
3. Change the range. Tea and coffee are outside the ban. Hot drinks machines, iced and cold coffee, and isotonic sports drinks are all options to replace energy drinks.
4. Plan for the deposit scheme. Decide whether staff return containers themselves or whether you provide a collection point on site.
5. Reduce single-use packaging. A mains-fed drinks point, such as a chilled and sparkling water tap or a flavoured water tap, serves drinks without bottles or cans, so no deposit applies.

One option: a drinks point with no bottles or cans

For larger sites, a packaging-free drinks point takes both changes off the table.

• Aqua Libra Flavour Tap Nano

  Chilled, sparkling, boiling and naturally flavoured water, plus electrolyte serves, from one tap built into your worktop. Flavours come in cartridges that serve thousands of drinks, and the connected unit reports usage and stock so cartridges are replaced before they run out.

  No bottles or cans, so no deposit, and no high-caffeine energy drinks in a vending machine.

  See the Aqua Libra Flavour Tap Nano

• Installed and looked after by FWC

  We survey the site, install the tap, train your team and maintain it. You choose whether staff use it free as a workplace perk.

  We also supply standard chilled and sparkling water taps, water coolers and coffee machines if a flavour tap isn't the right fit.

  See our drinking water taps

Frequently asked questions

This page gives general information to help employers plan. It is not legal advice. Sources: GOV.UK: energy drinks ban; Grocery Gazette: 6 April 2027 date; FoodNavigator: Deposit Return Scheme. Last checked 12 November 2026. © 2026 FWC Solutions Ltd. The downloadable guide is free to share in full and unaltered, with credit to FWC Solutions Ltd.