The responses to the announcement of a one-year delay to the roll-out of EPR in the UK have been varied. Defra - the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs issued a statement 25 July stating that the introduction of the EPR scheme would be postponed from October 2024 to 2025.
The decision was jointly with the devolved administrations, said Defra, and will provide industry, local authorities and waste management companies with more time to prepare to ensure the success of the scheme. The department added that it is seeking to make sure the scheme is ‘best designed to deliver on long-term recycling goals’ while ‘supporting households with the immediate challenge of high prices caused by inflation’. However, it also said that ‘other timescales have not changed – producers still have to report packaging data for 2023’.
In a written statement, the Welsh government added that the revised timeline for packaging EPR will ‘enable us to work with business, local authorities and wider stakeholders to further refine the scheme’.
Responding to the news, OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) cautioned businesses not to rest on their laurels.“The delay offers an opportunity for those ready to use the time constructively. Those which prepare now will benefit from lower fee costs and show a strong brand response,” said Margaret Bates, managing director at OPRL, said.
Recent OPRL research has shown that despite the cost of living crisis, consumers support recycling, with 81% agreeing that recycling is ‘very important’.
“With or without EPR, consumers are likely to call for greater recyclability,” said Bates.
The head of Sustainability & Consulting at Ecoveritas, Kathy Illingworth, called the decision ‘bittersweet’.As an environmental compliance data specialist, Ecoveritas was not surprised at the deferral, stating that it has long been apparent that ‘there were too many missing puzzle pieces and far too many detractors before its launch’. Stressing that the announcement provides
some much-needed clarity, Illingworth noted that despite the further delay and the risk of the scheme's implementation being lost in the run-up to the election, Ecoveritas ‘stands ready to work with government and industry to design an EPR scheme that delivers a high level of recycling and effectively tackles packaging waste’.
Lee Marchal, the policy and external affairs director at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) was less circumspect.
"After raising our concerns directly with the Prime Minister just last month, CIWM is disappointed to learn that EPR for packaging fees have been deferred for a year. While this is not altogether surprising, we believe this delay will have a significant impact, resulting in the public continuing to bear the cost of packaging recycling and disposal, less investment in recycling infrastructure due to a loss of confidence in the legislative framework, and a significant slowing of the UK’s green economy,” he stated.
"Today, we reiterate our call for government to press ahead with executing the reforms on EPR and consistent collections. The sector is ready, willing and able to implement them and bring about the step-change in recycling rates that they are designed to deliver. This is a valuable opportunity for the UK to show strong leadership and demonstrate its commitment to lead on combatting climate change, and CIWM stands ready to support as we continue our journey to a world beyond waste."
Ecoveritas’ Illingworth draws hope from the fact the data collection regulation requiring companies to collect the data outlined in The Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023, which came into effect on 28 February 2023, has not been delayed.
"You have got to wonder how already squeezed council budgets are to build the local system that best meets the needs of their local area," added Illingworth. "Still, the good news is that the data reporting legislation has become law, and the requirements remain as it is, so at least the government can more accurately assess the amount of packaging placed onto the market in 2023 and 2024 before introducing new fees.