Circular economy… worldwide changes

What changes worldwide could have the biggest impact on the circular economy? Read our selection for you for September 2022.

ERP UK supports companies with new plastic packaging tax

From 1 April 2022, companies manufacturing or importing plastic packaging in the UK must pay a tax of £200 per tonne. Exemptions include packaging with a recycled content of 30% or more and products where the packaging is an integral part of the good.

Landbell Group company, ERP UK is supporting companies in meeting their obligations under the new plastic packaging tax. Among other things, ERK UK checks whether the company or product is affected by the tax, compiles the data necessary to calculate the individual tax, and prepares the quarterly report for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the tax authority in the UK.

In the first quarter of the new tax, which ended on 29^th July, over 40 customers had already used this service. More information on ERP UK’s support services can be found here.

Meanwhile, there are signs of delay in the planned introduction of extended producer responsibility for packaging in the UK. The introduction, originally planned for 2023, was already postponed to spring 2024. Environment Minister George Eustice announced that he may delay the project even further, if necessary, given the high level of complexity in the legislation.

The planned consultation on waste electrical and electronic equipment has also been delayed. This will probably not begin until after the summer break.

Deposit for mobile phones proposed in Sweden

Following a study conducted in 2021, Sweden is currently in the process of consulting on a draft package of legislation (SOU 2021:26) aimed at incentivising more effective collection of WEEE. The goal is to meet the challenging 65% collection target for WEEE.

Two of the proposed regulations relate to deposits for mobile phones:

• Draft of Deposit on Mobile Phones (Traditional Deposit) Ordinance, SOU 2021:26, July 2022, and
• Draft of Deposit on Mobile Phones (Deposit Certificate) Ordinance, SOU 2021:26, July 2022

In the first draft, the deposit will be returned only for the mobile phone, for which the deposit was paid in the past. In the second draft, a coupon is given to the buyer of a new mobile phone, entitling the owner to give back any old mobile phone in return for the deposit.

Under both proposed regulations, the deposit amount is 100 Swedish Krones (roughly ten euros).

The consultation process should decide which deposit system will be implemented in Sweden in the future.

For more information on Sweden, please see article here.