Practical, plain-English guidance on the regulations affecting your packaging. Updated regularly as requirements evolve.
£200/tonne tax on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. Rate increased to £217.85/tonne from April 2024.
The UK's Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging commenced. Producers obligated to report packaging data and pay modulated fees.
PackUK issued first fee invoices to obligated producers based on reported packaging tonnages and recyclability classifications.
pEPR fees are now modulated based on the recyclability of your packaging, as assessed by the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM).
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation takes effect, affecting UK businesses exporting to the EU.
Mandatory digital waste tracking for UK waste receivers, replacing paper-based waste transfer notes.
UK-wide DRS for drinks containers expected to launch, covering PET plastic bottles, cans, and glass bottles.
The UK's pEPR scheme requires businesses that handle or supply packaging to take financial responsibility for the end-of-life management of that packaging. It replaces the previous Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system with a more comprehensive, modulated fee structure.
You are likely to be an obligated producer if your organisation has a turnover above £1 million and handles more than 25 tonnes of packaging per year. This includes brand owners, importers, distributors, and online marketplace operators.
From 2026, the fees you pay are adjusted based on how recyclable your packaging is. Packaging assessed as easily recyclable (Green under RAM) will pay lower fees, while packaging assessed as difficult to recycle (Red) will pay significantly higher fees. This creates a direct financial incentive to improve the recyclability of your packaging.
The RAM is the methodology used to determine how recyclable your packaging is for the purposes of pEPR eco-modulated fees. Understanding it is essential for managing your compliance costs.
The RAM assesses packaging through five stages that mirror the real-world recycling journey: Classification (what material is it?), Collection (is it collected?), Sortation (can it be sorted?), Reprocessing (can it be recycled into new material?), and End Market Application (is there demand for the recycled material?).
The PPT applies to plastic packaging manufactured in, or imported into, the UK that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. The current rate is £217.85 per tonne (from April 2024).
The UK's DRS will require a deposit to be applied to single-use drinks containers at the point of sale. Consumers receive the deposit back when they return the empty container to a designated return point.
The deposit amount and detailed operational arrangements have yet to be finalised. Businesses producing or importing drinks in these container types should begin preparing for the scheme's operational requirements.
Simpler Recycling (formerly Consistency in Recycling Collections) requires all local authorities in England to collect a consistent set of recyclable materials from households, and all businesses and non-domestic premises to arrange for the separate collection of recyclable waste.
Simpler Recycling expands the range of materials collected for recycling, which should improve collection rates and may influence RAM assessments over time. Materials collected will include paper and card, glass, metal (cans and tins), plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, cartons, plastic film and flexible packaging (from 2027), and food waste.
The PPWR is the EU's new regulation on packaging, replacing the existing Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. It takes effect in August 2026 and affects UK businesses that export products to the EU.
While the PPWR does not apply directly within the UK, any UK business placing packaged products on the EU market will need to comply. It may also influence the direction of future UK packaging regulation.