The UK Government department Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has announced that new UK Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging rules for all obligated UK organisations that import or supply packaging. The regulations mean that these organisations may be responsible for the costs of dealing with packaging waste.
Will you need to report anything?
As a result of the new rules you need to collect and report packaging data if all of the following apply:
- you’re an individual business, subsidiary or group (but not a charity)
- you have an annual turnover of £1 million or more, based on your most recent annual accounts
- you were responsible for importing or supplying more than 25 tonnes of packaging to the UK market in 2023
- you carry out any of the packaging activities
If all of the above apply it is also key to establish if you fall into the small or large producer criteria.
Reporting deadlines:
- 1 October 2024 to report for January to June 2024
- 1 April 2025 to report for July to December 2024
If you are a large organisation, the data you collect and report in 2024 will be used to calculate your recycling obligation and any waste management fees you must pay in 2025.
- Small producers must collect their 2024 data and report it by 1 April 2025.
What data needs to be collected?
There are four main categories of data which must be collected:
- Packaging activity – e.g. packing, filling, importing
- Packaging type – e.g. household or non-household
- Packaging class – e.g. is the packaging primary, secondary, tertiary
- Packaging material and weight
How much are the fees?
Extended producer responsibility packaging fees have been deferred for 1 year meaning fees for packaging placed on the market in 2024 will now start in October 2025.
Base fee rates for 2025/26 range between £130 per tonne to £655 per tonne depending on the material type.
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