The UK has outlined the intended method and impact of its upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging in a policy statement.
The UK department of environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) published the statement on the introduction of EPR for packaging today. It was agreed by the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, three UK nations which have some decision powers over their environmental policy.
The EPR scheme for packaging policy introduces an obligation for producers to pay for the collection and disposal costs of their household packaging when it becomes waste. The introduction of the EPR scheme is required by the Packaging Regulations 2024. PackUK is the appointed EPR scheme administrator.
The policy details the outcomes and deliverables that PackUK must achieve in the first year of the scheme, the core governance documents they must publish each year, and the deadlines for these publications. PackUK should publish final base fees for the 2025/26 year no later than June 2025. The introduction of base fees is anticipated to incentivise producers to improve design and place less material on the market, resulting in the prevention of packaging becoming waste. The scheme administrator must use fee modulation from 2026/27 onwards to incentivise the move to recyclable and reusable packaging.
