Focus on… the UK

Updated guidance on EPR for packaging

The United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), in conjunction with the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, has updated guidance on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.

The guidance provides instructions to UK producer responsibility organisations (PROs) on how to assess household and non-household packaging from 2024 onwards.

The guidelines are of relevance to large organisations with obligations under the UK EPR framework that must include detailed information about the origin of their packaging in their annual reports from 2024 onwards.

The new guidance outlines specific assessment criteria for determining whether packaging is classified as household or non-household, including factors such as the type of product the packaging contains, the size and format of the packaging, and the location where the product is typically used.

Furthermore, the guidance reminds companies of their obligation to keep evidence. Organisations reporting primary or shipment packaging as non-household will have to provide evidence that supports their classification.

The evidence can include sales data that demonstrates the proportion of products sold to businesses, information on typical product use and disposal patterns, as well as documentation for packaging design features that indicate non-household use.

The updated guidance aims to ensure more accurate reporting and fair cost allocation across the EPR system.

It may require affected companies to review their packaging classification and implement new processes to collect data.

The joint guidance is issued by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and will be updated from time to time.

For guidance and support with packaging in the UK, please contact ERP UK here.