The government of the United Kingdom has published a policy statement detailing the intended environmental outcomes of the its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and the strategies to achieve them. It also emphasises the responsibilities of the Scheme Administrator in the policy's first year.
The UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) launched an administrator for its EPR scheme this January. Called PackUK, the administrator will pass on the cost of recycling packaging to converters, producers, and suppliers, following the ‘polluter pays’ principle.
The government has tasked PackUK with publishing two key documents in 2025: a strategy document, by June 2025, outlining the administrator's objectives, functions, desired outcomes, governance, and delivery arrangements. It should also detail engagement plans with stakeholders and methods for measuring and reporting progress.
Second, an operational plan to be delivered annually by February 28, setting priorities for the upcoming financial year, including forecasts of local authorities' disposal costs, public information campaigns, and approaches to calculating disposal fees for producers.
Modular fees
PackUK should also publish the final base fees for the 2025/2026 year no later than June 2025. It must use fee modulation from 2026/27 onwards to incentivise the move to recyclable and reusable packaging, the policy statement reads.
In a modulated fees system, the fees that producers pay will vary according to the recyclability and environmental impact of their packaging materials. Lower fees apply to packaging that is easier to recycle, made from materials with a lower environmental impact, or designed for reuse. Higher fees will be imposed on packaging materials that are harder to recycle, have a greater environmental impact, or contribute significantly to waste.
PackUK is required to publish a first policy statement on EPR fee modulation alongside the Scheme Administrator’s Strategy, no later than June 2025. It should apportion fees to material groups in a way which supports the delivery of the intended outcomes of the scheme, factoring in disposal costs and improved environmental outcomes, including where feasible carbon impact; articulate how modulation in particular will encourage the use of easier to recycle packaging and a move to reuseable alternatives; and articulate how fees will support recycling at scale.
Overall, the UK’s EPR policy aims to encourage the use of environmentally sustainable packaging, prevent packaging from becoming waste, increase the reuse of packaging and enhance the quantity and quality of recycled packaging materials, and reduce the overall amount of packaging introduced to the market.
The EPR scheme is scheduled to go live in October 2025. Its rollout was delayed by one year in October 2024, although the wider system, including the collection and reporting of packaging data, has been required since October 2023.