EPR payments for packaging deferred for 12 months
19/09/2023
The UK government recently announced the deferral of EPR payments for packaging and issued Regulatory Position Statements (RPS) confirming that no legal enforcement will be taken against businesses that do not meet the EPR data reporting deadlines set for 1 October 2023 and 1 April 2024. Scroll down for further information.
The UK packaging EPR regulations bring obligations for producers that import or supply packaging to report packaging data and pay fees.
Amidst this fast-evolving regulatory landscape, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently announced that the EPR payments for packaging have been deferred for 12 months and will only apply in October 2025.
This news was closely followed by the release of Regulatory Position Statements (RPS) issued by the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, confirming that no legal enforcement will be taken against obligated producers that do not meet the deadlines set for 1 October 2023 and 1 April 2024. Businesses registered in England and Scotland are encouraged to meet these dates where possible. However, no action will be taken as long as data are submitted by 31 May 2024, as per the regulations.
The current deadlines for England and Scotland are:
- Small organisations should try to meet the deadline of 01 April 2024 for data reporting, but no action will be taken as long as data is submitted by 31 May 2024
- Large organisations reporting data for January to June 2023 should try to meet the deadline of 1 October 2023, but no action will be taken as long as data is submitted by 31 May 2024
- Large organisations reporting data for July to December 2023 should try to meet the deadline of 01 April 2024, but no action will be taken as long as data is submitted by 31 May 2024
Regulatory Position Statements (RPS) for Northern Ireland and Wales have not been issued yet.
To help UKFT members stay up to date with the latest updates on EPR for packaging, we have put together a guide outlining the new regulations. Members can email info@ukft.org to request the UKFT EPR Guide to EPR Schemes.
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