Destination… UK

EPR developments in the UK:

E-waste: new obligations for online marketplaces and vape producers
Packaging: base fees and fee modulation confirmed for new EPR scheme

E-waste: new obligations for online marketplaces and vape producers

The UK is strengthening its waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation with two key reforms now awaiting parliamentary approval.

First, it will introduce a new WEEE category for vapes, allowing specific collection targets and producer obligations to take effect from 2026.

Second, the government is closing a major loophole by obligating online marketplaces (OMPs) to take responsibility for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sold on their platforms by non-UK sellers.

If approved, the updated WEEE regulations will require producers of vape products to report placed-on-market volumes by weight.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will use this data to set dedicated WEEE collection targets for vapes and ensure producers cover full disposal and recycling costs.

OMPs selling vapes or other EEE from overseas suppliers will also be considered producers, meaning they must join compliance schemes, pay registration fees and report product data.

The government has opted for a pragmatic enforcement model: rather than requiring thousands of overseas vendors to register, it has chosen to assign obligations directly to a small number of online platform operators.

The new requirements will enter into force 21 days after parliamentary approval, with transitional rules applying to the remainder of 2025.

Full obligations for both OMPs and vape producers are expected to apply from January 2026.

Packaging: base fees and fee modulation confirmed for new EPR scheme

The UK government has published the final base fees for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging (pEPR), set to come into effect with first invoices in October 2025.

This announcement, made by PackUK, provides long-awaited cost certainty for producers and marks a key step in the UK’s shift towards a more circular packaging economy.

Under the “polluter pays” principle, producers, suppliers and converters will now shoulder the full cost of recycling their packaging.

Base fees

Most base fees have been reduced compared to previous estimates, with a notable 20% drop for glass.

These reductions reflect high levels of compliance and data accuracy from producers and regulators.

For the upcoming compliance year, plastic packaging will be charged at £423 per tonne, making it the second most expensive material after fibre-based composites (£461/t).

Other rates include aluminium (£266/t), glass (£192/t), paper and card (£196/t), steel (£259/t) and wood (£280/t).

These fees are based on packaging volumes reported for 2024 and corresponding waste management costs.

Modulated fees

In 2026/27, modulated fees will be introduced to steer industry towards more sustainable packaging.

A Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM), will rate packaging red, amber, or green.

Fees for red-rated (least recyclable) materials will increase progressively – by 20% in 2026/27, 60% in 2027/28, and 100% by 2028/29 – while green-rated packaging will benefit from discounted fees. Amber-rated materials will retain the base rate.

A redistribution system uses extra funds collected from red-rated packaging to reduce fees for green-rated materials, keeping total revenue stable.

Medical packaging will receive tailored consideration, qualifying for modulation exemptions when recyclability is limited by regulation.