New packaging reporting rules come into force to help cut plastic waste

New reporting requirements for packaging producers have came into force on 28th February as part of plans to shift the financial cost of plastic waste onto producers.

Under the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme, producers will be required to pay for the collection and disposal costs of household packaging when it becomes waste. The change will shift costs away from councils and council taxpayers and incentivise manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging used, and shift to more easily recycled alternatives.

Once pEPR is fully implemented, it is expected to save local authorities around £1.2 billion annually, and help to reduce plastic waste in the environment, following on from recent restrictions on various single-use plastic items, including drinking straws, cotton buds and carrier bags.

Packaging producers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland must from 28th February record the amount and type of packaging they have supplied during 2023, with new rules to come into effect in Wales later this year. Producers with a turnover of greater than £2 million and who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year must also report this information to the Environment Agency twice a year.

The first reports must be submitted from 1 October 2023.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

“We need to stem the flow of packaging which goes unrecycled and instead is lost forever to landfill and incineration.

“As set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan, these reforms will encourage businesses to increase their use of recyclable materials, shifting costs away from the taxpayer and supporting our work to protect the environment from the scourge of waste.”

Deep Sagar, chair of the Advisory Committee on Packaging, said:

“Packaging materials that are not recycled back into new packaging harm our natural environment. Councils have to spend more managing that waste and the public cannot enjoy spaces such as parks and high streets as they should.

“Extended Producer Responsibility will reduce that waste. It will make goods producers pay for collection of all packaging waste encouraging them to reduce or recycle more packaging. I look forward to supporting government and industry in making this smart policy work for the public and improving the environment.”

Claire Shrewsbury, Director of Insights and Innovation at the Waste and Resources Action Programme, said:

“The introduction of an EPR for packaging could be a game-changer. If done effectively, it could reduce the impact packaging has on the environment by regulating material use and increasing recycling.

“For EPR to work it must serve all – producers, local and central government, recyclers, and the public. We’ve been working with these key groups since 2018 to help collaboration on pEPR.”

Before a charging scheme comes into effect, the government is engaging with businesses and local authorities to shape the future vision of waste reforms and ensure business readiness when a plastic packaging tax on producers is implemented.