Environment Agency
The way UK organisations responsible for packaging must carry out their recycling responsibilities has changed.
If youre affected by extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, you will need to report your packaging data.
Check if you need to take action
The regulations will apply to all UK organisations that import or supply packaging.
You need to collect and report packaging data if all the following apply:
- youre an individual business, subsidiary or group (but not a charity)
- you have an annual turnover of 1 million or more (based on your most recent annual accounts)
- you were responsible for more than 25 tonnes of packaging in 2022
- you carry out any of the packaging activities
Use the online service to check if you need to report packaging data.
Packaging activities
You may need to act if you do any of the following:
- supply packaged goods to the UK market under your own brand
- place goods into packaging thats unbranded when its supplied
- import products in packaging
- own an online marketplace
- hire or loan out reusable packaging
- supply empty packaging
Some organisations that supply packaged goods to the UK market need to report nation data. You can find out more about this in the check if you need to report nation data section.
Supplying goods to the UK market under your own brand
You may need to take action if packaged goods labelled with your own brand are supplied to the UK market. A brand includes any of the following:
- a name
- a trademark
- any distinguishing mark
For example, a confectionery company manufactures and packages sweets under their own brand. It sells these sweets to a supermarket. The supermarket goes on to sell the sweets to UK consumers. In this instance, the confectionery company may need to take action.
However, the confectionery company would not need to take action if it produced and packaged sweets under the supermarkets brand, which the supermarket then sold. In this instance, the supermarket may need to take action.
You may also need to take action if you pay or license another company to do any of the following for you:
- produce goods that will be sold under your brand name
- pack goods that will be sold under your brand name
- place your branded goods on the UK market
- import goods for you
Placing goods into packaging thats unbranded when its supplied
If you place goods into packaging and that packaging is unbranded when its supplied, you may need to take action. This could be goods you packaged for your own organisation or for another organisation.
Importing products in packaging
You may need to take action if your organisation imports products from outside the UK that are in packaging and goes on to supply these products to the UK market.
You may need to take action even if you discard packaging before selling the goods.
You do not need to take action if you import filled packaging that is:
- branded, and youve imported it on behalf of a brand owner that is established in the UK
- unbranded, and you go on to supply it to a large organisation that applies its brand before supplying it on
The check if youre a large or small organisation section explains which organisations are classed as large.
Owning an online marketplace
Under EPR for packaging, youre classed as carrying out the owning an online marketplace activity if you operate a website or app that allows non-UK businesses to sell their goods into the UK. If you own an online marketplace, you may need to take action.
If your organisation owns a website or app that sells goods from UK organisations only, this is not classed as carrying out the owning an online marketplace activity. However, you should check if you carry out any of the other packaging activities.
Hiring or loaning out reusable packaging
If you hire or loan out reusable packaging, you may need to take action.
For example, some organisations hire or loan out wooden pallets to other organisations for transporting goods. The wooden pallets are returned after use and loaned out again.
Supplying empty packaging
You may need to take action if you manufacture or import empty packaging and then supply it to a business that is not classed as a large organisation.
You can find out what the criteria are for a large organisation, in the check if youre a large or small organisation section.
Packaging definition
Packaging is any material that is used to cover or protect goods that are sold to consumers. It makes handling and delivering goods easier and safer. It also includes anything thats designed to be filled at the point of sale, such as a coffee cup.
Packaging also makes goods look appealing for sale and may display a companys logo or brand. Goods could include raw materials or manufactured items.
What you may need to do
You may need to:
- collect and report data on the packaging you supply or import
- pay a waste management fee
- pay scheme administrator costs
- pay a charge to the environmental regulator
- get packaging waste recycling notes (PRNs) or packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs) to meet your recycling obligations
- report information about which nation in the UK packaging is supplied in and which nation in the UK packaging is discarded in this is called nation data
What you need to do depends on whether youre classed as a small or large organisation. This is based on:
- your annual turnover
- how much packaging you supply or import each year
Check if youre a large or small organisation
Youre classed as a small organisation if either of the following apply:
- your annual turnover is between 1 million and 2 million and youre responsible for supplying or importing more than 25 tonnes of empty packaging or packaged goods in the UK
- your annual turnover is over 1 million and youre responsible for supplying or importing between 25 tonnes and 50 tonnes of empty packaging or packaged goods in the UK
You will be classed as a large organisation if both of the following apply:
- you have an annual turnover of 2 million or more
- youre responsible for supplying or importing more than 50 tonnes of empty packaging or packaged goods in the UK
You should base your annual turnover on your most recent annual accounts.
Your total weight is the amount of packaging in a calendar year (January to December) that you:
- supplied through the UK market
- imported, emptied and then discarded in the UK
If youre a small organisation
To comply with the regulations, you must:
- record data about all the empty packaging and packaged goods you supply or import in the UK from either 1 January 2023 or 1 March 2023 (for more information about this see the section about when to collect and report your data for 2023)
-
create an account for your organisation from January 2024
- pay a charge to the environmental regulator from 2024
- report data about empty packaging and packaged goods you supplied or imported
Youll need to report your data between 1 January 2024 and 1 April 2024.
If you miss the deadline, you may need to pay a penalty charge.
You may also need to report nation data.
If youre a large organisation
To comply with the regulations, you may need to:
- record data about the empty packaging and packaged goods you supply or import in the UK from either 1 January 2023 or 1 March 2023 (for more information about this see the section about when to collect and report your data for 2023)
- create an account for your organisation from July 2023
- pay a waste management fee
- pay scheme administrator costs
- pay a charge to the environmental regulator
- get PRNs or PERNs to meet your recycling obligations
- report data about empty packaging and packaged goods you supplied or imported
In 2024 your waste management fee will be calculated based on packaging youve reported as household packaging. Find out more about