The British Retail Consortium has backed the government’s move to defer the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging fees for another year, suggesting the time now be used to make significant improvements to the UK’s recycling infrastructure.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) confirmed intentions to delay collection of EPR packaging fees until October 2025 ‘in light of the pressure facing consumers and businesses in the current economic state.’
Producers are still, however, required to report packaging data for 2023.
Defra’s updated guidance confirms that there’s “been a decision to defer extended producer responsibility for packaging fees for one year. This update reflects that, and also explains that other timescales have not changed – producers still have to report packaging data for 2023.”
Under the EPR, packaging producers will be made responsible for the full cost of managing the packaging they place on the market. This transfer of responsibility is intended to incentivise producers to look closer at their packaging and transition processes to reduce material use and promote packaging reuse.
Producer fees will be varied, providing further incentive to support the achievement of outcomes such as increased recycling. However, the introduction of these fees has now been deferred until 2025.
Environment minister, Rebecca Pow, said: “We are determined to transform the way we collect, recycle, and reuse our waste materials so we eliminate all avoidable waste by 2050 in a way that works for households and consumers.”
It’s been suggested that when in full force, the EPR scheme will bring in around £2bn a year in collected fees.
Earlier this year, however, the British Retail Consortium expressed concern over the government’s “fundamentally flawed” EPR reforms, indicating that without ‘significant investment in recycling infrastructure in Britain’, households would be forced to foot the bill for EPR without seeing any meaningful improvements to recycling rates.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium has said the government is “right to extend the timeline on it packaging reform” and has suggested that the delay be used to sure up a working recycling infrastructure across the country.
“[The Government’s] plans are not ready, and this would simply drive food prices up without delivering the improvements in recycling everybody wants,” he said. “We need to use the additional time to design an effective recycling scheme that delivers value for money for households across the UK.
“Recycling rates have stagnated for a decade. If they are to rise, there must be better coordination of the government’s waste reforms so there is consistency in how we recycle across the country.
“It’s also vital that the £2bn Extended Producer Responsibility is expected to raise annually, is targeted towards improving infrastructure to boost the supply of recycled material for reuse. We look forward to continuing to work with government to ensure that EPR delivers for the environment and for consumers.”
