We are planning to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
Contents
The scheme
EPR for packaging is a Programme for Government commitment. It means that businesses which supply and use packaging will have to pay for its management when it becomes waste.
Why it’s important
The UK-wide scheme aims to:
- reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging
- increase resource efficiency and the quality and quantity of recycling
- reduce the amount of packaging in disposal waste streams
- reduce packaging litter, and
- encourage the re-use of packaging
We are already a world leader at recycling, and we want to do more. But recycling solutions for many types of packaging do not exist or are expensive to manage. Introducing EPR for packaging is a way to improve recycling. It will also help the sector to decarbonise by supporting a material transition.
The aim is to:
- tackle the climate and nature emergency
- build a stronger, greener economy
- be net zero in Wales by 2050
Illustrative EPR base fees
We consulted on the EPR for packaging, as follows:
- Consultation on reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system February 2019 [DEFRA.GOV.UK]
- Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Consultation Document 24 March 2021 [DEFRA.GOV.UK]
We published Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: summary of consultation responses and government response 26 March 2022 [GOV.UK]
We published the Consultation on the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations [2024] 28 July 2023 [DEFRA.GOV.UK]
We are now publishing the illustrative packaging EPR base fee rates for 2025/26 [GOV.UK]