William Watkins’ Priorities as President of BSDA

More exciting news from our leadership team: our founder and CEO, William Watkins, was elected as the new president of the British Soft Drinks Association
(BSDA) last month.

The BSDA is a trade body that represents most of the UK’s soft drinks manufacturers, as well as their franchisors, importers, and suppliers. It encourages policymakers to consider the industry’s perspective and fully understand the impact of regulations put in place.

After four years as the BSDA’s VP, William was appointed as President at the trade body’s AGM on 11th June. He’s taking over from Paul Graham, GB Managing Director at Britvic, with William’s place as VP being filled by Pete Charles, Managing Director at Red Bull.

William plans to tackle issues such as litter reduction, improving recycling rates, and calling for the Welsh Government to support a workable deposit return scheme (DRS).

The UK-wide DRS has been delayed to October 2027 and is facing challenges with differing policies across the devolved nations. Kicking off his tenure as BSDA president, William is advocating for a unified approach, and is urging Wales to exclude glass from its scheme. He believes that this will avoid consumer confusion and enhance recycling efficiency. Find more about the UK DRS here.