UK Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (pEPR)
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Data collection began in 2023, with mandatory fee payment fully applicable from April 2025
Overview
Note: Although this card is placed under the EU Domain, the United Kingdom is not an EU member state. This card describes the UK's independently operated extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging.
This new extended producer responsibility scheme requires businesses that supply packaging or packaged goods in the UK to fund the full cost of local authorities' collection and treatment of household packaging waste. It replaces the previous PRN system with detailed packaging data reporting through the RPR portal and introduces eco-modulated fees based on recyclability.
Enforcement Timeline
March 2023: Mandatory packaging data collection begins for businesses supplying the UK market.
2024: Reporting deadlines for 2023 actuals and 2024 data.
April 2025: Billing and payment of EPR fees to fund local authority waste treatment costs become fully applicable.
Late 2025 to 2026: Eco-modulated fees and mandatory recycling labelling take effect.
Business Impact
Businesses exporting to or selling in the UK must rigorously manage and report packaging weight data by material type and are required to pay EPR fees from April 2025 onward.